Destiny
by Ranmawho1
Summary: There is much more to the past than has ever been told. However, the truth shall soon be revealed, and Naruto's destiny shall come forth as the very balance of existence is placed in peril. NarutoxBleach crossover, possible NaruxHina
1. Story of the Beginnings

Disclaimer- I don't own any characters or places herein mentioned within this fanfiction, they are all media belonging to their respective owners, creators, etc.

A/N- Welcome to my new fanfiction folks! To those of you who are readers that are following my other works, know that I'm not giving up on them, but a series of rather unfortunate events got in the way of my writing, and this is the first time in a LONG time that I've been able to actually get on to write something. Updates will becoming to my other stories rater shortly, but this has been bugging me so much that I've gotta get it outta my system before anything else comes.

Now, just so you all know, I suck at writing (or at least, I think so, especially compared to others). However, that won't stop me from trying my best to write something decent and (hopefully) fairly original, so if your gonna be critical, please try to make it constructive instead of just a flame.

Finally, if anyone who is reading this wishes to take my idea and make a story of their own using a similar basis, I'm fine with that because they say that copying is one of the highest forms of flattery. I just ask to be told in a PM and acknowleged at the beginning of the story. My own aknowlagements go to all of the Naruto/Bleach crossover writers out there, for it is you guys who inspired my initially to write this (though, Naruto won't be dying in the VoTE battle, that's been used a bit too much for me to honestly make anything simi-original from that). WARNING! My story will contain minor spoilers for both Naruto and Bleach in future chapters (moreso Naruto than Bleach, which I haven't read in a while). You have been warned!

**Story of the Beginnings; The Great Sundering**

The world you know is a lie.

History as it is taught is a lie.

However, I shall now tell you the truth. I shall tell you of reality as it was before the Great Sundering, of the war of the legends, and of the fate that befell the Five Great Planes of Existence. I am the sage Agustus, the last remaining record of those great and terrible times, and nearing my end. I feel that I must pass the knowlage of the truth on to you, the one who is currently reading this, so that it may never be truely forgotten. I shall tell you of the future, of the tale of an energetic blond who will have defied fate itself, securing his place among the greatest heroes to have ever existed and ever shall exist.

Millenia ago, there was more than just the Earth and the Afterlife. There were the Five Great Planes of Existence, all connected inexplicably to one anther to preserve the great balance.

First there was the plane of Sanctum, the home of those beings who are considered to be amoung the highest in the heavens, the home of the Angels and all that is considered pure. They were of the highest plane, believing in law an order, and considered to be the closest to the great creator, as his personal messengers and peace-keepers of the other realms.

Then there was the plane of Spiritous, the home to those who had died on the mortal planes and were awaiting the day that they would either ascend and join the Angels on the plane of Sanctum, or to be reincarnated in either of the two planes that contained those who are called mortals. It was governed and policed by those who were the forefathers of those who call themselves Shinigami.

Then there were the twin plains of Terra, home to the mortals. The first of the twins was called Earth, and while it was tied inexplicably to the other planes, it's inhabitants distanced themselves from the others, focusing almost entirely on their pursuit of technolegy and science, considering those to be the greatest powers in the universe. The second twin of Terra was home to the mortals who worshiped those that they saw as higer powers and practiced magic, following the great elements and the spiritual, shunning science and technolegy almost completely, it was called Arcaina. The two were constantly at odds wit one another, each trying to prove that their ways were right and that the other's was wrong.

The last of the planes went by many names, The Burning Hells, The Abyss, The plane of Chaos, and countless forgotten others. It was home to the greatest and most evil populace, the demons. They saw the other planes and hated them, for they believed that truth could only be found in wanton destruction an chaos. They wanted noting more than to devour the other planes and cover them in eternal darkness, but every time they tried, they would be countered by the Angels, and thusly, after millenia of almst constant war, an uneasy truce, nothing more than a temporary standstill , was reached.

Then he came along... The posessor of the first of the great dojutsus, the Rinnegan.

He whose name has been lost to the annuls of time came into being upon the plane of Arcaina, and though his origins remain unkown, he is credited for bringing about the true abilities of the inhabitants of Arcaina, the ability to draw upon mental and physical energies to create the power known as 'chakra', a power that rivaled the power of Shinigami, if not surpassed it, and it's creation threw the great balance out of alignment as the Great Heavens and Burning Hells began to compete for the power, renewing the great war. The Planes of Earth and Spiritous shunned them, seeing this new power as a threat t ther way of life, and conspired against it.

The father of ninja was himself a great power, being able to single-handedly lay waste entire armies as he fought to keep his plane independent. However, as he grew ever older, the man realized and faced his own mortality even as he fought back wave after wave from both the armies of Sanctum and Hell. So the man took three wives to give him children who would carry on his legacy. All three women soon became preganant, carrying in them each a boy.

One evening both the armies of Sanctum and Hell invaded and the man went to beat them back in what was one of the greatest inter-planar battles ever as all three forces fought one another. However, what the man did not know was that both Sanctum and the Burning Hells had found about his pregnant wives, and had both of the great forces had sent people to steal away the women so that they could have the power that he had passed on for themselves, which would ultimatly tip the great balance in favor of one side or the other. Both forces had manaed to get to the women at the same time, and began another battle ight there, the Angels managing to get ahold of one of the women and the demons another. The man had sensed something was wrong though and had gotten back in time to beat back the two warring factions and rescue his wives, eventually managing to send both armies back to their respective planes once again.

Several months later, all three women gave birth upon the same day. The first was the woman who had managed to evade capture, and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy whose eyes contained the Rinnegan.

The other two women gave birth at the exact same time, and it was revealed that the Celestial and Demonc energies from those who had captured them had affected the babes in the womb as the one whose mother had been kidnapped by the angels opened his eyes to reveal that they were a pearlish color with barely an outline at all visible in them. The other, whose mother had been captured by the demons opened his eyes to reveal that they were a blood red with three tomoe in each. And so the Byakugan and the Sharingan came into being, born from a mixture of the great ninja's own power mixed with otherworldly energies.

At the time that all this had been going on, Earth, with the blessings and help from Spiritous, had been studying the bonds that connected the planes together and had built great machines meant to sever the ties that bound them, meaning to get rid of the threat that they saw in Arcaina once and for all. Truely believing that what they was doing was right, the people activated the titan machines, cutting the bonds. However, there was an unforseen concequense as what they had done had badly erroded all of the bonds at once instead of simply the ones that connected Arcaina. In a fury, the Angels decended en masse and lay waste to the machines, but the damage had been done.

The first plane to break off was the Burning Hells, their bonds too corroded to withstand their chaotic energies. However, before the bonds were comepletely severed, they managed to send some of their greatest agents, the nine Bijuu, to Arcaina, in an attempt to secure it for the day when the bonds may be restored.

Their anger growing at those who they had branded fools and destryers of the great balance, the Angels washed their hands of Earth and Spritous, leaving them to their own devices after wiping the memory of the entire Earth, making them forget about the other planes while simultaniously obliterating all technology, which they credited to bringing about the great catasrophe. And so, the Angels sealed themselves in Sanctum, denying entrance to their plane and never leaving it themselves, leaving Spiritous alone to govern the mortal.

Their bonds corroded beyond all repair, Arcaina drifted from the other planes, it's nearly-destroyed bonds remaining only strong enough for souls to continue to cycle, though with their memories or abilities sealed away within themselves. As such, their timeline grew apart from their twins, a mere hundred years in their timeline being several millenia in Earths.

Millenia passed and Spiritous grew apart from the Earth as well, blaming themselves for ther part in the great sundering, discarding their disgraced name and becoming the Shinigami of the Seireitei, Taking on the job of helping and protecting the souls of mortals.

In the vast chasm that had once been the interconnected planes, a new plane was born conssting of souls which became psuedo-demons that were called Hollows, their ties being connected only to Earth and the Spirit Realm, thusly giving the Shinigami another job, purifyng these dark spirits so that they could find peace.

As time passed, Arcaina forgot it's name and many of it's old ways, being renamed the Elemental Countries, with no unifying name for them as a whole. The father of all ninja had long since passed away, leaving his legacy upon the world. The three brothers had also split apart after their father had died, the one with the Byakugan renaming himself Hyuuga, of which his family would all be called throughout time. The possesor of the Sharingan likewise renamed himself Uchiha, which his family would forever carry, and the two families became bitter rivals, each proclaming that their dojustu was the better. The eldest brother kept the name that was given him though, opting to stay out of the arguments about whose eyes were better, deciding instead to becoming a protector of the plane as his father had been, discovering that his of his decendants, only one out of every few generations was born with the Rinnegan. Years later his decendants split once again as his 10th great grandaughter married a nameless blond who revealed to have great powers of his own. Meanwhile, the nine great Bijuu had opted to rest and watch, waiting for the perfect time, only coming awake once every couple decades to wreack havoc.

Fifteen years ago the greatest of the Bijuu, the nine-tailed demon fox kown as Kyuubi, attacked the ninja village of Konoha, with which he held a grudge. After a long, grueling battle, the fourth Hokage, a powerful blond man who went by the name of Namikaze Minato, sealing the great demon within the belly of his own newborn son. Saddened that his baby would not grow up with any parents due to the fact that the battle had taken everything he had and the baby's mother, Uzumaki Kushina, had died in childbirth, the Fourth asked that the baby be seen as a hero, and thusly died, having given all that he had to stop the Kyuubi.

Unfortunatly, the citizens of Kohona ignored the Fourth's last wish, hating the boy instead of praising him. Regardless, that boy, Uzumaki Naruto has grown to be a fine young man with people precious to him, having many great adventures.

However, Naruto's journey has just begun, as he has been foretold in prophecy to be the one who will either bring peace or chaos to the world. How does this tie to the other great planes?

Only time can tell...

-Sage Agustus

The scrll sat within a time-sealed tube upon a small table within an unkown room, an old, dead man laying on a bed not too far away, his face peaceful in death.

A/N- Whadda ya think? Tell me!!


	2. Chapter 1, BHSD

A/N- Since I gave the disclaimer in the first chapter, I really don't feel the need to write another. Anyway, thanks to those of you who've read my story and enjoyed it, especially those who reviewed, favorited, or alerted! Ah lurve you guys!!

And yes, the chapter title is a direct salute to Broken Hearts, Shattered Dreams by pudgypudge, one of the best damned writers on this site, an elite typist who is able to put raw emotion into his works. Read his stuff, it's some of the best.

**Chapter 1, Broken Hearts, Shattered Dreams**

-Twenty-five years ago, the border of the Land of Rain-

The scene was horrible, but one that had been all too common within one of the most warlike countries of the great elemental nations. The field, which had once been a small meadow surrounded by rainforest with a small hut in it and a bubbling brook at it's side was now nothing more than a smoking ruin, barren of almst all vegetation, save for a few horribly charred trees which had somehow remained standing, despite the brutal battle that had just taken place. The hut was almost completely destroyed, only the bare bones of what it had once been remaining standing, the limp body of a dead Ame nin hanging from one of the support beams, skewered on a shard of rock that had been pierced through his midsetion, ensuring that while his death had been relativly quick, the pain of it must have been exruciatingly horrible.

His fellows had at least been spared the sufferng he had been dealt...

They had been a border patrol group, ten men strong, and almost all of them high-class chunin. It had been a routine patrol, nothing too big. This was actually one of the less-patrolled areas, but due to attacks by a group of insurgents recently, the Amekage had stepped up patrols along all of the borders to make sure that the insurgents hadn't been getting outide help from one of Amekagure's major enemies. It was qute a surprize to the patrol when they found a small, well concealed hut at the edge of a meadow with three teens with it. Three teens, who had been seen and marked as probable members of the rebellion due to the fact in a recent scuffle in a village a few miles off, they'd been seen fighting and in some instances killing Ame nin. They'd escaped in the ensuing chaos, but thed been noted quite clearly and they were wanted for questioning. Making his decision after their identeties had been confirmed, the leader of the chunin team gave a hand signal and they decended on the hut to take the three teens prisoner by any means nessicary. However, what they didn't know was that they'd tripped some unseen warning traps, and the three inside were ready for the attack.

The lead chunin, a fair expert in taijutsu burst through the front door, intending to take full advantage of the inital surprize and confusion that the teens would surely experience at being found. There was a surprize, but not the type that the chunin had been expecting as he kicked the door in... And was met with a fireball that he had no chance of avoiding, two of his comrades pushing in right behind him. The deaths of the three was almost instantanious as the searing heat literally melted the flesh from their bones and left a wide scorch mark as the wailing ball of flame burned itself out a short distance away. Their rage boiling at the sudden deaths of their comrades, the remaining ninja forwent any plans of capturing the three teens and decided to kill them instead for taking the lives of their friends. Battlecries echoing, all seven chunin went through several different handseals and began to bombard the shack with all manner of offensive jutsu, reducing the house and immediate surrounding area with their wanton destruction.

The three teens, sensing the sudden surge of chakra quickly dashed from the structure through preplanned escape hatches, only to be surrounded by the chunin. _'tch... this is bad. Even under the best of conditions taking on a larger force is risky, and from the looks of things, these men are easily chunin or above. what are we gonna do?'_ Thought one of the teens, an orange-haired boy named Yahiko, as the three teens got back to back, the ring of enemies tightening around them.

"Yah-Yahiko-kun?" Asked the only other boy of the three tenativly. He had been the one who had used the fire technique that had roasted the other three chunin initially. He had felt terrible for doing it, the boy hated violence, but he knew that these men had wanted to hurt his only family n the world, and that was something he couldn't allow, but their current situation was making him feel extremely nervous.

Yahiko hazarded a glance back at his friend and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it Nagato-kun, everything will be fine. Just remember everything that sensei taught us, and you'll be fine. I'll protect you and Ko-chan with my life!" He exlaimed, grinning.

Nagato gulped and nodded, pulling a kunai, an action mirrored by both Yahiko and Konan.

One of the chunin, a man who had just been promoted, pulled a katana, levelling it at the three teens as a growl escaped from his throat. "Is that so you little shit?! We were just gonna take you in for questioning, but you killed our teammates! DIE!" He screamed, charging at Yahiko, intent on swinging the sword in a horizontal slash, meaning to take the boys head from his shoulders, only to have to block a thrown shuriken from the girl at the last second, and that second was all Yahiko needed to go through a quick series of handseals, firing a small bullet of water from his mouth that hit the chunin in the neck, causing a gyser of blood as it drilled straight through, severing his spine and killing him instantly.

Then all hell broke loose, as the remaining chunin charged in a brutal rush, meaning to crush the teens all at once. The haze of battle quickly set in as the intensity of the fighting increased and two more of the chunin fell to well aimed kunai. Yahiko was going head to head with a ranged weapon expert when he heard Nagato's cry of anguish. Firing another water bullet at his opponent, Yahiko whirled around, seeing Nagato kneeling, clutching his left shoulder, which was pouring copious amounts of blood as his two opponents stood over him, smirking in victory as they prepared to cut him down with their swords, which they held over the wounded boys head.

The two men swung, expecting to see a fountain of blood, only to be stopped as the accursed orange-haired boy appeared between them and their prey, blocking both katana with a pair of kunai, putting everything he had against their combined strength.

Nagato looked up with hope at the boy he saw as a brother...

Only for that look to change to one of horror as a resounding thunk was heard, and Yahiko dropped his weapons, staring down in surprize at the kunai that was lodged in his chest, piercing his heart, then back up at the man that he'd been fighting earlier, who was smirking cruelly even as he readied another attack.

Yahiko's body began to go numb and he toppled bonelessly backwards, caught by a screaming Nagato. It was odd, this feeling of detachment from his own body. He knew he should be able to hear his best friend, who had begun sobbing, but he couldn't for the life of him hear anything! He could just watch with that detached feeling as darkness began to take him.

"Duh... Dun wanna... die..." he murmured, weakly, trying to reach for Yahiko's face as twin trickles of blood spilled over from the corners of his mouth. Then he went limp, his hand falling back down as his eyes dulled in death.

"Yahiko? Yahiko, please wake up!" Nagato cried, shaking his lifeless friend in a futile attempt to rouse the boy, praying fervently that his friend would snap back up, laugh it off as a corny joke, then easily defeat their enemies as he'd had many times before.

"YAHIKO!!" Konan screamed, flinging her arms out, sending several paper shuriken flying at the five remaining chunin, forcing them to back off briefly as she ran to her friends. "Na-Nagato... IS huh-he de-dead?" She managed to choke out, tears welling in her eyes as she saw the kunai sticking from Yahiko's chest.

Nagato didn't answer, his head hung low as he bitterly wept and cursed his own weakness. Snapping his head up, Nagato glared at the chunin, who had regrouped, the fires of pure hatred burning in his tear-filled eyes even as they began to transform, multiple rings forming around the iris. The rinnegan, which he had not even been able to activate on his own yet unless he was feeling extreme emotion, blazed to life. His chakra began to increase multifold, growing so strong that it became visible, kicking up small bits of dust with the force of it.

"Dear god, the boy has a dojutsu..." One of the chunin breathed as they stood there transfixed, trying to fight off the sudden surge of killing intent that poured off the boy at them.

Nagato gently lay Yahiko on the ground, sliding his hand over the other boy's face, closing his eyes. He then stood, his shuddering back to the men as he whispered something illegable.

"Say what brat? We didn't catch that." The chunin who had delivered the fatal blow to the one boy growled, readying a brace of kunai and shuriken

Nagato straightened, his shaking stopping. "... I said you should say your prayers to whatever god you worship, because I am going to kill you now." He replied calmly, slowly pulling a kunai and gripping it tightly. Then, much to the amazement of the chunin, he disappeared.

What followed could not be called a fight, just a bloodbath. Nagato had quickly dispatched all of the chunin save for the one who had killed Yahiko. That one he actually used a jutsu on, causing a jagged shard of rock to shoot from the ground, impaling the man in a rather gruesome fashion and sending him flying back until he hit one of the support beams, the shard pinning him there.

And that's what lead to the current scene, the only two people left alive standing the, Nagato holding Yahiko's quickly cooling body in his arms, despite the wound that he'd recieved, Konan standing beside him, silently sobbing.

From the darkness of the forest, a tall man stepped out, his body clad in a black cloak and an orange swirl mask hiding his face, save for his short, spikey black hair. Not showing any visible reaction as he stared into the eyes of the one boy who held the one tool that he needed above all others, Madara Uchiha approached the two, his posture showing no threat. "What happened?" He asked softly.

"I just lost my brother..." Yahiko whispered quietly, his voiced laced heavily with both emotional and physical pain as tears tracking their way down his cheeks.

"Do you want revenge? Do you want to make sure that no other innocents lose their loved ones?"

Nagato nodded plainly, Konan emulating him as she clutched at his sleeve.

Madara couldn't supress the grin that formed, luckily, he had his mask on. "Then come with me, and you shall recieve the power to do so. Come with me, and I shall make you the Messiah, the one who can bring peace to the world." He whispered quietly, seductivly.

Nagato and Konan nodded again, quietly following the mysterious man into the surrounding jungle.

-Three days ago, location unkown-

Pain' head snapped up, broken from his thoughts as he saw through his other eyes that Jiraiya had shown up. Letting out a grim sigh, Pain looked down at the eight brightly glowing spheres that floated below him in the darkness.

-Current day, Kohona-

Naruto lay back on his bed in hs apartment, his thoughts awhirl with what had happened earlier that day.

-Flashback-

Naruto and the others trudged back to Konohakagure, their hearts heavy with their inabiity to once again save Sasuke Uchiha, but after everything that happened, they'd sorely needed to recouperate. They'd been quickly debriefed by Tsunade and dismissed, being told that they each needed to submit a written report by the next day, then dismissed. As they walked out of the tower and everyone went their own way, Sakura quickly caught Naruto's sleeve, halting the boy as she asked the one thing that he had wanted to hear all of hs life.

"Naruto, will you go to lunch with me? We can go to Ichiraku's and I'll even pay if you want." She said demurely.

Not even the sun could outshine the grin the threatened to split Naruto's face as he mutely nodded, too stunned by his great fortune to speak, and offered his arm to the girl he loved, walking with her to the small ramen stand.

They sat there for nearly half an hour, silently slurping nooedles as they enjoyed the silence, warm company, and even warmer food. Soon though, Sakura turned to Nruto, setting her chopsticks down as she wated for him to finish with his current bowl so that she'd have his undivided attention, the old man and Ayame only pretending to busy themselves as they listened with baited breath, knowing of their best customer's attraction to his pink-haired teammate.

Naruto set down his now empty bowl and turned towards his crush, a large, satisfied smile plastered on hs face. So far, this had been the best date ever! MUCH better than anything he could have hoped for! "What's up Sakura-chan?" He asked happily.

Sakura returned Naruto's smile, though hers was a bit more subdued. "Naruto... I just wanted to thank you is all... These past years, with Sasuke gone, and everything else thats gone on, it's been almost unbearably hard, but you've always been there for me, haven't you? You've always been my pillar of strength, even in the most trying times, there to support me, no matter what. Even when you were on your journy you sent me regular letters. I don't know what I could ever have done without you, and I amgrateful beyond words for that..."

"OF course I'll always be there for you Sakura-chan!" Naruto chirped happily, his smile widening even further. He was definitly liking where this was going!

Sakura smiled at Naruto's words. "..Thank you Naruto. I... I guess what I'm trying to say is... Well... I'm an only child Naruto, but when I'm with you, I feel like there's a real bond between us, as if you were actually my brother, and I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate you and everything you've done for me, thanks." She said quetly, patting his knee and standing up, laying some money on the counter as she started to leave. "Anyway, I'm going to go see my parents. Later Naruto!" She said, quckly stepping through the flaps and walking down the road, stopping only briefly at the corner of a building before disappearing.

Naruto didn't even hear her departing words, too much in a daze as his heart shattered in his chest. She loved him, but only as a brother... A brother... She only loved him as a brother... These thoughts kept repeating themselves through his head, completely shutting out everything else...

"Naruto-kun?" Ayame asked tenativly, reaching out to tuch a stunned Naruto's arm softly.

The touch seemed to jolt Naruto from his reverie as he shot upright, causing Ayame to flinch back. "DAMMIT! I'M NOTHING MORE THAN A BROTHER TO HER!!" He cried out disparidly, rushing out of the resteurant, towards the Hokage monument, small droplets of water splashing on the counter. Had she been seeing things, or had Ayame really seen tears in Naruto's eyes?

Outside, Sakura had stopped at the corner of a building, turning her head to look at a very surprized Hinata. "I just told him something that probably has got him hurting and confused right now, and he could really use someone to help comfort him. Don't screw this up Hinata." She said, winking at the horribly blushing girl before continuing on towards her parents.

"H-hai..." Hinata stuttered, turning back a she saw Naruto dash from the resturant. Gatering her nerves, Hinata quickly rushed after her crush, not noticing that she'd grabbed some attention and was currently being followed.

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The sun had begun to set as Naruto sat on top of the Hokage monument, sighing morosely as he watched the sun set on the second worst day of his life. Well, at least Sakura loved him, even if it was a sibling bond, not a romantic one. But still...

He was snapped from his thoughts as he heard someone huffing from havng run hard, and turned around to see Hinata standing there, nearly bent over double as she tried to catch her breath. "Hinata? What are you doing here?" The whiskered blond asked, confused.

Hinata, finally managing to regain her composure somewhat, started blushing furiously as she began to twiddle her fingers. "W-Well... Ah... I heard what Sa-Sakura said to y-you in the ramen stand and... and ah-I was won-wondering if yuh-you wanted to talk about it Naru-kun..." She said quietly, certain that the object of her affections would chastise her and send her packing. So it was to her great surprize then, when Naruto scooted over and patted the rock, motioning her to sit, so she did, nearly overwhelmed to the point of fainting that she was actually this close to her chldhood crush.

They sat there for several moments in companionable silence, watching the sun lower over the village. After several moments, Naruto finally spoke. "Why do you think it is?" He asked quietly.

Hinata looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "Wh-what?" She asked.

Naruto sighed. "Why do you think that everyone has hated me all these years, when I've been protecting them from the very thing they hate me for? Why is it that I can't ever find happiness?" He looked at Hinata, his eyes moistening. "Why can't I be loved? Is it something that I've done? Do I not deserve love or something? Am I destined to always be hated?" He asked quietly.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI, HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK SOMETHING SO HORRIBLE ABOUT YOURSELF?!" Hinata demanded loudly, shooting to her feet. "There are plenty of people who love you, and you'll see it, but only if you'll open your eyes and look! So what if Sakura doesn't love you in the way you'd like? That just means that she's probably not the one for you!" She practically shouted, clenching her fists, not een stuttering once. "You deserve to be loved as much as anyone else, moreso than most because of what you've been put through! At least you've still got Sakura, so don't wallow in pity just because your the brother she never had, and try looking at the people who might actually love you romantically!" With that, she stormed off in a huff. Later on, what she'd said to her crush would really sink in, and would make Hinata sick to her stomach. She even skipped supper, and cried herself to sleep that night, sure that Naruto hated her for how she'd talked to him.

Naruto looked on confused as Hinata disappeared. "Ok... What the heck was that all about?" He asked out loud, confused.

Rustling bushes alerted him to another presence, and Narut whirled around as Kiba stepped from some underbrush, an unreadable look on his face. "You really don't get it, do you?" He asked. "This entire time you've been chasing Sakura, and you never noticed that Hinata was chasing you! She loves you, you damned fool! Everyone else knows, so why don't you?!" The canine user growled before stalking off, leaving a surprized Naruto there to pick his jaw up off the ground.

Shaking his head, Naruto leapt up, running after his friend. "Kiba! Hey Kiba dammit, wait up!"" He called out.

-End flashback-

"Surely dog-breath was wrong?! Why would Hinata ever want to love a loser like me?!" He wondered to himself. Sensing a commotion outside, Naruto got up and looked out of the window to his apartement, seeing a group of people gathered around some weird person laying on the ground, and...

"Oh god no..." Naruto whispered in shock, for there, with the body were a beat-up looking Ma and Pa toad, and there could only be one reason why they were not with Jiraiya...

**-End-**


	3. Chapter 2, Fallen

A/N- here are the stats for Destiny so far, which I'll post every few chapters P- words: 5831 chaps: 3 reviews: 7 hits: 372 c2s: 0 favorites: 5 alerts: 13

Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed my story so far!!

**Chapter 2, Fallen**

-Somewhere unkown-

It was a nice night out, a pregnant moon hanging lazily in the sky, casting a pale glow over all. Sasuke Uchiha, one of the last members of his clan, sat on top of a boulder, staring at the moon, lost in memories long past. It had been on a night exactly like this one that his older brother, Itachi Uchiha, had slaughtered their clan under orders from the ruling body in Konoha in order to stop a coup de'tat, and ultimatly the next great shinobi war. "You know, he was crying that night... I used to think that I was just imagining things, but now..." He trailed off his gaze still locked upon the gently glowing giant in the sky, wondering how many other unspeakable acts it had bore silent witness to since it had come into being.

Madara Uchiha stepped from the shadows he'd been hiding in, silently observing his decendant, his orange mask firmly in place. "You know... What your brother did was the hardest thing in the world to do for anyone to do. Before he could kill his own family, he had to kill his own heart. He had to become a tool of death so that he could preserve life, to preserve peace. However, true peace cannot be obtained by killing one single clan, it can only be obtained by destroying those who oppress the weak with their political corruption. In order to do this, we must show the world that we are totally committed to our cause. And the best way to do such is by wiping out the greatest and most corrupt power there is. We must destroy Konohakagure, for only through destruction may peace begin to build. I shall ask you one last time Sasuke are you sure that you wish to help us on our crusade?" He asked quietly, finally breaking his silence.

Sasuke turned his head to his ancestor for the first time since their coversation had started, his Mangekyo Sharingan activated, which looked eerily similar to Atomic particles. "Konoha shall burn to ash, and the world will learn peace." He stated firmly.

Madara nodded solemnly. "Then come Sasuke, and take your rightful place in Akatsuki as your brother's successor. I shall introduce you to the others, and show you the weapon that we have created that can make our dreams come true." He said, turning away, a grin tugging at his lips as he walked off.

Sasuke dropped down silently, following behind. _'Soon, very soon...' _He thought, his dojutsu spinning slowly. Taking one last look back, he saw a storm rolling in, heading straight for his old home.

-Konoha, the following day-

It was a somber day in the village hidden in the leaves, the grey, overcast sky seeming to reflect the mood of the people as they grieved the passing of one of their greatest heroes, Jiraiya, the legendary Toad Sannin. Black curtains hung in every window, and every person in every bar hefted their cups in rememberence of the man.

High atop a hill, where those who had died in the name of Konoha were honored, stood a small gathering of the hermit's friends and aquaintances, all dressed in black as the stood there quietly, staring at a picture of a smiling Jiraiya, various knick-knacks and personal posessions placed on a table surrounding the man, along with some burning incense. Normally, the Hokage would say some final words, but as it was, Tsunade was crying too hard to say anything, being supported by Shizune, who had tears trackng down her own face.

So everyone stood there in reletive silence, more than a few of them openly weeping.

Naruto was one of those who was only letting a few silent tears fall, standing there with his fists clenched, staring at Jiraiya's picture, Sakura, Kakashi, Iruka, and Hinata standing close to him. Naruto could feel the rage building within himself. After hearing about the battle from Ma and Pa, that seed of anger had been planted, a small rock of pure hatred towards Pain that had wormed it's way into Naruto's heart. So Naruto hung his head, his eyes shadowed as he stood there trembling. "Dammit..." He said, his voice just above a whisper.

"Naruto?" Sakura called out her teammate's name uncertainly, her face etched with worry as she reached out, placing a hand on one of his shaking shoulders.

"WHY IS IT SO DAMNED HARD?!" Naruto suddenly screamed, causing Sakura to flinch back and everyone else stare at him, their eyes wide. Even Tsunade looked at the boy she saw as a little brother, her eyes red and puffy. "WHY CAN'T I KEEP THOSE I LOVE SAFE?!" He continued, screaming at the uncaring heavens, his fists clenched at his sides as he looked up, his chakra flaring around him, bit's of red mixing in with his own blue, becoming visible, if only faintly. "WHY AM I SO WEAK?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT, HUH?! QUIT TAKING MY PRECIOUS PEOPLE FROM ME!" He screamed, falling to his knees, pounding at the ground with his fists, causing the ground around him to shake and crack with the force of his blows. Standing up, he walked over to the portait of Jiraiya, drawing a kunai as he did so. With a quick jerk, he drug the knife across the palm of his right hand and squeezed it, dripping blood in front of the portait. "I swear on my life, I will find and kill that bastard Pain, and I'll protect my precious people, no matter what..." He said shakily, his blood splattering the ground. Suddenly finding himself unable to stand anymore, Naruto collapsed to his knees once again, dropping his weapon as he began to sob uncontrollably.

"Naruto!" Hinata and Sakura exlaimed simultaniously, rush to the whiskered blond, kneeling on either side of him as they wrapped the distraught boy in a hug, holding him tightly.

And so the rain began to fall, two drops landing on Jiraiya's picture and sliding down the glass, giving the appearance that he was crying as well.

-Two days later-

Hinata quetly closed the door to Kurenai's home behind herself as she exited the small structure. She had been staying with the woman quite a bit recently, after Asuma had died, leaving Kurenai and their unborn child alone. The woman had been distraught over her loss, rarely leaving her home, and eating only to make sure that the baby, the only peice of her lover that she had left, remained healthy. So Hinata had been staying with her sensei a lot, so make sure that the older woman at least had some companionship, if nothing else. As she walked, lost in her own thoughts as she was, Hinata wasn't paying attention as she turned the corner of a building... And collided solidly with someone, knocking her off balance as she started to fall.

"Hinata-chan?!" Naruto exlaimed, surprized, as he grabbed grabbed her before she could fall, steadying the smaller girl.

Realizing just who it was that she'd bumped into, Hinata blushed scarlet, remembering the things that had passed between them over the past few days. "G-gomen, Na-Naruto-kun..." She squeaked, suddenly finding the ground interesting as she studied it intently while twiddling her fingers.

A grin split Naruto's face."Hey, no need to apologize! I was actually lookin' for ya!" He exlaimed.

"Yuh-you were?" Hinata asked, hesitantly looking up at her crush.

Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yeah! I was wondering if you'd like to go to lunch with me! I'll even pay!" He offered, winking at her.

Hinata nodded mutely, her blush somehow becoming even worse. Surely this was a dream, Naruto was asking her on a date, a real date! "H-hai..." she managed to say, walking beside Naruto as they set off.

Not too far away, Sakura and Ino sat behind an awful bush disguize, giggling to themselves. "See? I told ya he'd ask her out sooner or later!" Ino exlaimed.

Sakura nodded. "I know! Though I never thought it'd happen so soon, wit me just only recently turning him down for good, and with Jiraiya's death..." She replied.

Ino smacked her best friend upside the head. "Baka! Don't talk about depressing things when we're watching Naruto and Hinata-chan go on their first date! Now c'mon, we've got some spying to do!" She cheered as the two of them picked up their disguize and started to follow the pair, people that they passed shooting the two odd looks at such a bad disguize.

A few minutes later found Naruto and Hinata sitting at Ichiraku's (causing Sakura and Ino to facefault and consider going to smack the boy, ramen was NOT the type of food to eat with a girl on a first date!), The two of them ordering bowls and digging in, Naruto with gutso while Hinata ate hers dantily. After several minutes (and several empty bowls stacked in front of the whiskered blond), Naruto set his chopsticks down and turned to Hinata, waiting for her to finish as the old man and Ayame pretended to busy themselves, listening closely the whole time. As soon as Hinata had finished and turned to her crush, Naruto started to speak. "Hey, Hinata-chan? I wanna ask you a question." He said, his face taking a serious look as he looked ather through squinted eyes.

"Yes Na-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, her face heating up under his gaze.

"Are you in love with me? Not in a friendly way, but in a romantic one?" He blurted out, never being one for tact. He thought he heard a thump somewhere, but didn't pay it any attention to it as he focoused on the girl in front of him. Though, if he had looked around, he would have seen that several people had face-faulted, including two familiar flashes of pink and blond behind a close-by bush that definitly shouldn't be there. He crossed his arms as he continued to squint at Hnata, looking a bit like a fox as he did so.

Hinata, for her part, was mortified, being asked such a blunt question as her face became an interesting shade of red and she began to stutter incoherantly. Looking away, her blush grew even more. "Ah-I... I... Excuse me please!" She squeaked, rushing from the ramen stand, leavin a confused Naruto sitting there, blinking.

"Nani?! Why the heck did Hinata-chan rush off like that?" Naruto asked no one in particular, confused.

"BAKA! Don't let the girl get away after asking such a blunt question! Go after her!" Ayame yelled, smacking Naruto in the back of the head with a harisan.

"Right! Thanks Ayame-nesan!" Naruto yelled, dropping some money on the counter as he rushed out after Hinata.

"I'll be right back poppa!" Ayame called out, quickly exiting the resteurant as well as she rushed over to Sakura and Ino, who were still twitching on the ground from their fall. "Well? C'mon, we've gotta know what they say!" She exlaimed, picking up the ther two girls. Looking for the direction that Hinata and Naruto took off in, the three girls picked up the bush and rushed after the two.

Naruto didn't catch up to Hinata until she stopped by a lake to catch her breath, but once he did, Naruto grabbed Hinata by the hand, stopping her from running any more. "Hinata-chan, please don't run, I just wanna know the truth!" He exlaimed, his eyes capturing hers.

Hinata looked down, blushing furiously. How cold she deny the person that she'd given her heart to? Taking a deep breath, Hinata looked into Naruto's eyes. "H-hai... Y-yes, N-Naru-kun, I am in... in lo-love with you, an-and I have been...for a lo-long time now..." She whispered quietly, her gaze breaking from his as she looked at the ground, sure that he'd send her away for admitting such a thing.

It was much to her surprize then, when she suddenly found herself being pulled into a tight hug, Naruto's arms wrapping protectivly around her as he rested his head against hers. "Thank you, Hinata-chan." He whispered in her ear. "It makes me happy that you wold give your heart to me, it's a more precious gift than any I've ever been given." He said, taking her hands in his own. "I'm sorry, but at the moment, I'm confused about far too many things right now to be sure about anything, but I woud like to go out with you again, and maybe, when everything is cleared and I can be sure that what I feel for you is really love and simply not me bouncing back from everything that has happened, hopefully, we can take things beyond friendship." He said, finishing by kissing Hinata on her forehead.

Hinata nodded mutely and buried her face in Naruto's chest as the two embraced once again, neither willing to let go yet as the sun began to set, setting the lake aglow behind the two teens.

Not too far away, three wistful sighs could be heard from behind a bush as Ino, Sakura, and Ayame watched the romantic scene play out, each girl sporting a small blush.

-End-

A/N- I had planned on taking this much further, but for some reason I felt like this would be a nice place to end this chapter. It's only about a third as long as what it would have been if I'd put in every thing that I'd planned in my overview, but I guess that I'll just save that for the next chapter, leaving you all with this bit of sadness, followed with some Naru/Hina fluff that everyone seems to want.

Trivia- The harisan that Ayame slapped Naruto in the head with is a large paper fan, generally used in gag manga to smack someone with when they do or say something silly.

Please R&R!!


	4. Chapter 3, The End of a Hero

A/N- DAYUM! One new chapter, and the hits doubled! Can't say the same about the reviews tho'... Anyway, if you read the A/N from the end of the last chapter, you'll have seen that this was originally supposed ta be a part of that chapter (a majority of it actually), but I'd decided to split the chapter in two, ending the last one on a happy tone. Anyway, hope ya like the new chapter! But first... cackles madly, rubbing hands together like a generic mad scientist.

**-The Naru/Bleach lowbrow comedy hour presents; Ah Needs More power! Or a Cup! Yeah, a cup would be nice too...-**

Sasuke stood on the field of battle, opposite his latest opponent, his Sharingan spinning madly. "I need more power! I'll defeat you, and I'll be one step closer towards my ultimate goal!" He yelled, charging a Chidori as his opponent observed him, a bored expression on his face as he studied Sasuke with indifferent eyes.

Byakuya Kuchki was NOT having a good day. He'd woken up on the wrong side of the futon this morning, it took him longer than usual to get his hair just right, he'd been sent on a lame-assed mission, he hadn't been laid in over a century, and now this... Yeah, he was annoyed. As the pissy little avenger charged at him, one hand thrust out, Byakuya waited until the last second...

...Then he lifted one foot, kicking the little pansy right square in the nads, causing the boy to fall forward in pain, clutching his bruised danglies as he lost all thoughts of battle, rollng over onto his back in a futile effort to ease the pain.

Byakuya looked at the boy unemotionally, wondering what he'd do with the punk when he noticed that they were not alone. Looking up, he saw a pair of men dressed in identical black cloaks with red clouds on them. One was a short man who bore a passing resemblence to the boy he'd just felled, while the other... Looked like a blue fish, oddly enough. "Can I help you?" He asked coldly.

"Did you just kick my little brother in the giblets?" Itachi asked in an equally uncaring tone.

"Why yes, yes I did. What is it to you?" Byakuya retorted.

Itachi shrugged as he and Kisame walked over to join the shinigami captain. "No reason. Mind if we join?" He asked.

Byakuya nodded, and he and Itachi both began to take turns stomping on Sasuke's baby batter makers, causing the last 'faithful' Uchiha to start singing high soprano.

Kisame grinned and started kicking Sasuke in the ribs. "Give us yer lunch money wuss, I know yer sugar-daddy Orochimaru is loaded." He chuckled darkly.

And that's how it went for poor Sasuke...

-End-

A/N- Now that that's over with, on with the actual story!!

**-Chapter 3, The End of a Hero-**

-Konoha Hospital, medical examination room 13-

Tsunade was not a happy Slug Sannin. In fact, at the moment, she was about as far from happy as one could get. She'd just lost the second man that she'd given her heart to, and the only thing that his death had turned up was a vague message burned onto the back of an old toad and a body, one of apparently six that the current leader of the organization known as 'Akatsuki' controlled. It wasn't that the clues that she'd been given were bad ones, quite the opposite actually, as that normally they had far less to go on when dealing with enemies, but... Jiraiya was dead, and Tsunade couldn't see that any amount of information could have been worth his life...

Just as Tsunade was abount to continue the autopsy of the body that had been brought to her, the door to the medical room burst open, a wounded and frightened chunin rushing in. "Hokage-sama! Akatsuki are headed this way from the East! And the missing Uchiha boy is with them!" He exlaimed, holding his profusely bleeding stomach.

"What?! Are you sure about this?" Tsunade asked, a dread feeling settling in the pit of her stomach, rushing oer to the wounded man to give him a hand.

"H-hai, Hokage-sama, my patrol team ran into them, and my comrades sacraficed their lives so that I could get here to warn you..." He said weakly as Tsunade began to heal him.

"Shizune, get in here now!" Tsunade yelled, helping the man to a chair.

In a few short seconds, Shizune came running in, on guard for what ever trouble she might find. "Reporting, Hokage-sama!" She exlaimed, seeing that her master was all business.

"Gather all ninja and prepare, Akatsuki is coming! Have all of the genin, most of the chunin, and a handful of jonin gather the villagers and evacuate out of the West gate of the village. Have the rest of the chunin and jonin prepare for war, because if we don't stop that organization now, then no one will be able to. Now go!" She ordered.

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Shizune replied, bowing quickly before she disappeared in a rush.

_'Jiraiya, am I going to be able to avenge your death already?' _Tsunade wondered to herself as she made sure that the chunin was fully healed before dismissing him, she had her own preperations to attend to. Taking one last look back at the body of Pain laying on the table, Tsunade exited the room to get ready.

-Outside-

It was general panadmonium outside as villagers rushed around in an attempt to get ready for the evacutaion, the ninja that were ordered to help them trying to make some orer of the chaos as they herded the civilian population towards the West Gate.

All the ninja that had been chosen to fight Akatsuki were busily preparing for battle, outfitting themselves for battle as various teams ran through last-minute drills. The ANBU, Konoha's elite shinobi, were busy setting various traps and getting into preplanned positions, their duty being to funnel enemy forces and to attack said enemies flanks in case of invasion, as was about to happen.

On top of the Hokage's tower, several shinobi in particular had gathered, Tsunade, Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, what was left of the rookie nine, their sensei, and team Gai, all of them looking grim. Sighing, Tsunade looked at the gathered ninja before her. "Listen up, Akatsuki is headed this way, and they have Sasuke with them, and apparently he has joined them." She said grimly, most of the shinobi around her gasping in surprize.

Naruto stepped up to Tsunade, his eyes blazing with anger."Hey Baa-chan, what the hell are you talking about, huh?! There's no way Sasuke would ever join those bastards!" He exlaimed venemently, waving his hands in front of himself, as if to push the very notion of Sasuke joining the organization that was after him away. "Sasuke may be messed up at the moment, but he'd never join those bastards for any reason!" He continued, only to be stopped as Tsunade reached out and grabbed the front of his jacket, pulling Naruto in close and up to her eye level, glaring at the young demon container.

"Haven't you learned anything you stupid brat? Just look at mine, Jiraiya's, and Orochimaru's pasts! Orochimaru didn't have good reasons either, but that doesn't change the fact that he betrayed us, now does it?! Get it through your thick skull Naruto, Sasuke betrayed this village, and now he's once again allying with our enemies, our enemies who are after you dammit! He could have joined them simply to prove once and for all that he is better than Itachi by taking Itachi's place in that organization, or for any number of other reasons!" She yelled into Naruto's face, shoving him back a bit as she released his jacket. "Let me ask you this Naruto, if he has joined them, and it comes down to it, whose life is more important, huh? I know you want to save him, just like Jiraiya wanted to save Orochimaru, but if you die trying to get him back, how can you keep any of your promises?" She asked, crossing her arms.

Naruto hung his head, not having a good argument for what Tsunade said.

Tsunade sighed, stepping forward, wrapping Naruto in a hug. "Listen, I love you gaki, and while it hurts, I'd rather see you suffer a little emotional pain than watch you die for some misguided cause. Your far too important to too many people to just go throw your life away needlessly like that." She said quietly.

Naruto nodded weakly in Tsunade's grasp, unable to say anything.

After Naruto regained his composure and rejoined the group,Tsunade turned to them. "Alright, Akatsuki is coming, and it's most likely for Naruto. I don't know why they'd attack us so openly in order to get him, but the fact that they're being so bold is a bad sign." She said gravely.

"Couldn't it be that they're desperate though, and they're just coming like this because they've just about run out of time for whatever it is they're planning?" Sakura asked.

Shikamaru, one of the few who hadn't reacted to hearing the news, deided to take this one. "That may be Sakura, but the troublesome thing is that even if they are out of time, there's no way that they'd risk an all-out attack like this unless they were sure that they could win. They can't just bluff this sort of thing, there's far too much at stake for such a risky maneuver. This is the real deal, they're coming for Naruto, and they've more than likely got the means to do it, even if it means destroying this whole village in the process." He stated, taking a drag from the cigarette dangling in his mouth "Our problem is that Naruto is one of our best fighters and probably the best suited for a situation when it comes to force versus force, this group is specifically targeting him, and they've more than likely have the abilities to take him out specifically. I'd say the best that we could hope for if it's Naruto taking them on is a stalemate, and at worse they'll counter him completly, and he'll not even be able to do anything. Our problem is figuring out how to use Naruto as effectivly as possible while minimizing the risk of him being captured. This is a chess game, and Naruto is our king, but the stakes are all too real if we lose, which we can't afford to." He bew a long plume of smoke, looking at the gathered people to make sure he had their attention and understood the true scope of what was about to happen.

Naruto didn't look too pleased as he squinted and looked at his lazy comrade. "Hey hey hey! What the heck are you sayin' Shikamaru? That I can't fight or somethin'?" He asked, crossing his arms.

Kakashi walked up, laying a hand on on Naruto's shoulder. "That's not what he's saying at all Naruto, he's just saying that we need to do this the smart way, not just going in blindly swinging." He replied casually.

Naruto nodded in understanding, and was about to answer when a series of explosions announced that Akatsuki had arrived. Looking in the direction that the noise was coming from, they all gasped in surprize as an impossibly huge plume of smoke, more than was produced than even when the great bosses were summoned, began to flow up over Konoha's protective wall.

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Madara Uchiha smirked as he and the others approached Konoha, the five remaining bodies of Pain and Konan flanking his left, while Zetsu, Sasuke and his 'Hawk' group flanked his right, following just behind him like an honor gaurd as he returned to Konoha, intent on being a mighty conquerer. They'd found a group on partrol earlier, and had let one of the men go to warn of their coming, because what fun was there in conquering if your enemies wern't properly afraid when you arrived?

Madara couldn't supress the chuckle that escaped his throat as they approached close to the wall surrounding Konoha, and were subsequently surrounded by a huge group of just over twenty jonin. Madara scanned around, looking at the grim-faced men and women. They were all powerful to be sure, and every one had probably earned their rank through hard work and even harder battles, but he sensed that none of them posessed that spark, that gift that, if nurtured properly, could propell one from greatness to the status of legend. He knew that these people would be no problem, Pain could take them all by hs fivesome if he so needed, but Madara loved to make an enterance, so he signaled to Pain, Zetsu, and Konan, and they in turn nodded, each starting to go through a complex set of handseals.

The jonin, who had been on a razor's edge alertness, started going through their own handseals as well, and unleashed a devesating salvo of highly destructive jutsu that ran the entire elemental guantlet just as the members of Akatsuki finished their own set of seals and slammed their hands into the huge cloud of debries, obscuring everyone's vision, so they leapt back up onto the wall, away from the ever-expanding clud to better assess the situation.

Much to their shock and dismay it was then, when the smoke cloud continued to expand beyond what their jutsu should have kicked up, dwarfing the wall that they were standing on. The first things to emerge from the smoke were two gigantic obsidian hands, turned upwards as if in reverence. Soon, a strong gust of wind blew, slowly dragging the smoke away as it fully revealed the thing those hands were attached to. It seemed to be a statue of sorts, in the shape of a man, but of a size greater than any other that any of the ninja had ever seen before, save for mountains, whose size could not be surpassed. The arms of the statue were bound together, leaving only enough leeway for it's hands to be held the way they were, and it's head was possesed of nine eyes eight of which had pupils in them, gazing about the town before it. In it's mouth was a great seal, held by a chain that circled the head of the titanic statue. On the right shoulder of the thing stood Akatsuki and Hawk, seemingly unharmed by the barrage of jutsu that had been aimed at them. Swearing loudly, several of the jonin set loose another number of offensive justu, only to despair as the attacks connected with a shimmering, translucent barriar and stopped, though showing that the barriar covered the entire statue as it rippled over the thing before becoming invisible again. "Damn it all! How are we going to break through?!" one of them asked as the group from the tower landed on the wall as well, staring up at the statue.

Naruto looked up at the group standing on the thing's shoulder, seeing Sasuke standing there beside that freak in the orange mask that had delayed them earlier. He was about to say something when...

"HEY!! Tobi sees his friends that he played with in the forest! Hullo friends! Are you all ok? How are you icky bugs Shino-kun?" Madara asked as he adopted his Tobi persona, causing the tension to crack as almost everyone facefaulted, with only a few exceptions, such as the members of the Aburame clan that were present, including Shino.

"They are well, thank you for asking." Shino replied stoically, causing everyone to facefault again, including a few Aburame this time.

Naruto jumped to his feet, rubbing a bump on his head as he pointed at Madara. "HEY! Shut it asshole! We're gonna kick your ass this time!" He yelled. That said, he turned his gaze on Sasuke, who was dressed in the black and red cloak signifying that he was a member of Akatsuki. "Sasuke... Have you really betrayed us this time? Are you really going to help them kill me and every one we know?" He growled.

Sasuke looked down at the one person that he'd always felt closer to than anyone else, save his brother before the massacre of their clan, his gaze locking with Narutos. After several seconds of silence, Sasuke began to smirk, the smirk growing into a full-blown malicious grin as he started to chuckle darkly, the chuckle turning into full-blown laughter as he turned to the other members of Akatsuki, who were looking at him stoically, as if he'd lost his mind. "You've all fallen into my trap!" He exlaimed, pointing at them. "I joined you and came here with you, knowing that you would bring this weapon with you! Now the tables have turned though, and now I've got you exactly where I want you! I shall kill you all, who are enemies of Konoha, and I shall take this weapon! I wll be hailed as a hero greater than any other for having not only slain Konoha's greatest enemies, but also single-handedly making her the undisputed most powerful of the elemental countries! There will be a world peace, one ruled by Konoha with me at the head! The other countries will have to agree to peace, or be crushed by the new might of a Uchiha controlled Konoha!" He looked back at Naruto briefly. "Sorry dobe, but the place of Hokage is mine, and I will claim it now!" He exlaimed, his eyes turning Mangekyo as his gaze shifted back towards Madara and the others, his Atomic-shaped Sharingan spinning wildly as two fairly large, blinking, green dots appeared on Madara's chest, becoming smaller and smaller, the blinking becoming more rapid until both dots were solid pinpricks.

The explosion was so great that it rocked that section of Konoha, a huge gout of debries filling the air and spreadng outwards away from Sasuke and team Hawk, Sasuke smirking arrogantly.

That smirk soon disappeared however, as the smoke began to clear away,revealing that the entire group was standing there unharmed behind a lagre, translucent shield the color and shape of Madara's Mangekyo, which could be seen in the one eye hole his mask had. "What a twist, eh? Did you really think it would be so easy Sasuke-kun?" Madara asked, glaring at the younger Uchiha. "The Uchiha will be at the top, but it won't be under you with this pathetic excuse for a village. No, it shall be I and Akatsuki who shall rule in peace. Since you are obviously against me, I have no more use for you Sasuke, but I will let you live long enough to see my dreams come true, but you really do need to be moved out of the way." He said dispassionatly, snapping his fingers.

Sasuke tensed, ready for an attack by any one of the Akatsuki, only to gasp in surprize and pain as Suigetsu's sword erupted through his midsection, the massive cleaver sticking more than a foot through, barely missing Sasuke's spine. Suigetsu pulled the sword back out, causing a gyser of blood, and Juugo grabbed Sasuke, roughly throwing him against the neck of the statue, where Karin quickly subdued him.

"Wh-what th... the hell? A... are yuh-you gus betaying me?!" Sasuke asked, coughing blood as more spouted from the wound in his midsection. Looking into the eyes of his team, he saw that they were all blank. "Nuh... No... you're un-under his con... trol... arn't you?" He said weakly as Madara threw back his head and laughed.

"SASUKE! NO!" Naruto screamed.

Turnng before anyone could react one of the bodies of Pain, the large muscular one, aimed his right arm at the whiskered blond, the forearm disconnecting and shooting at Naruto at high speeds, connected by a thick cable as the fingers wrapped around the boy's throat, pulling him through the barriar and up towards them.

As Naruto was being pulled passed the hands, he managed to pry the fist clenched around his throat loose and dropped back onto the left palm, looking at the group with hate-filled eyes. "You bastards! You all wanna take me on? FINE, I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" He screamed as his chakra began to flare, the normal blue starting to shift into red as he began to draw on the Kyuubi's power.

Madara looked down at him, staring into Naruto's red slitted eyes. "Tobi says no foxy power for you!" He exlaimed, and suddenly he and Naruto were standing in front of the Kyuubi's cage, the red chakra retreating back through the bars, leaving Naruto standing there, blinking. "It has been a long time, Kyuubi." He said conversationally.

Two blaeful red eyes opened from deep within the recesses of the cage. **_"That it has, Madara Uchiha. And if I have any say about it, this will be the last time we ever meet. My container shall destroy you and scatter your remains to the four winds!"_** Kyuubi roared, smashing against the cage, but unable to push any chakra through as Madara's own flared and stopped it.

"Yes, this shall be the last time, for you are about to become my weapon." Madara sneered, and suddenly Naruto was back in the real world, surrounded on all sides by the five bodies of Pain.

Naruto immedatly reacted by forming the seal for Kage bushin no jutsu, creating twice as many shadow clones as there were bodies of Pain. "I know who you are you bastard! You're the one who killed Jiraiya Sensei! Prepare to die!" He yelled, each of the clones paring up and forming Oodama Rasengans, each aiming for a different body of Pain.

There was a great explosion from atop the palm, a dust cloud covering the area as the sounds of a fierce battle erupted from within. A few seconds later, a single body was forcefully knocked from the smokescreen, and Naruto knocked against the chest of the great statue, his head cracking painfully against the obsidian. In an nstant, one of the close combat Pains was on top of him, pummeling the blond mercilessly before kicking him towards the right palm, on which Konan and Zetsu stood on two of the fingers. When the dust from the other hand finally settled, it revealed that the hand itself had been badly damaged, and three of Pain's bodies lay there, obviously dead, as one of them walked over to one of the fallen bodies and began pumping healing chakra into it, reviving it.

"So... I'm gonna have to kill you all at once then..." Naruto panted, getting to his feet as he wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. Closing his eyes, Naruto found himself back in front of the Kyuubi's cage. "HEY, fox! What are we gonna do? I don't think I can beat all of the Akatsuki by myself, and I can't use your power." He said grimly.

The Kyuubi nodded. _**"There is no way we can beat them normally by ourselves."**_ He agreed. _**"However... there is one way, if we combine all of our chakra, my fire nature and your wind nature, into one single attack. This will mean that you'll have to tear off the seal though, and by using all of our chakra, we're both going to die... That will be unavoidable."**_ He rumbled.

Naruto's eyes widened at what Kyuubi had said. "WHAT?! But I always thought you wanted to be free! What's with the change all of a sudden?" He asked in obvious shock.

Kyuubi lowered his massive head so that he was eye-level with his container. **_"I'd rather be dead than be a mindless peice of a weapon like that, and besides brat..."_** He looked away, as if ashamed of himself.**_ "... Because my entire life has been nothing but evil deeds that hurt others, but since having met you... I've changed, and I would like to commit at least one good deed before I die, and I can think of no better deed than helping the one who changed me destroy those bastards and that monstrosity, saving your precious people in the process." _**He said quietly, though his voice was still loud.

A single tear threatened to roll down Naruto's cheek. "There's no other way to beat them, is there?" He asked.

Kyuubi shook his massive head, looking remorseful.

Naruto suddenly grinned, it was a smile full of pain and sorrow, but also one of hope. "Fine then you giant fuzzball, you've got a deal." He whispered, reaching up to grab the seal.

On the outside, Naruto had made two shadow clones, one on either side of him as they began to form a Rasenshuriken, pouring every ounce of chakra he had into it. "This is it you bastards! I'm going to destroy you all and save Konoha!" He screamed as the five Pains jumped to different fingers of the statue and Madara landed on the seal over the statue's mouth.

"Oh? How so?" Madara asked, amusement in his voice.

"NARUTO!! WHAHT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?!" Hinata screamed as she fell to her knees, everyone else watching in wonder as history was being made.

"LIKE THIS YOU ARROGANT BASTARD! FINAL SHINE RASENGAN!" Naruto screamed as he mentally ripped away the seal, Kyuubi's awsome chakra suddenly enveloping him as his Rasenshuriken took on the Kyuubi's fire element, the spinning ball of energy suddenly shooting out huge jets of super-heated flame, spinning in a spiral around Naruto as he leapt at Madara, his attack outstretched towards the man.

Madara grinned behind hs mask. "That is indeed an impressive attack, easily capable of doing what you claim Naruto-kun, but there's just one problem..." He released the seal and leapt away as the others began chanting, the eyes of the statue focousing on the in-coming Naruto. "... The fox was on my side this entire time! Normally it takes forever to remove the Bijuu from an unwlling host, but if that host removes the seal of their own free will, the sealing can be almost instantanious! Thank you for helping me achieve my dream Naruto-kun, I'll always remember your help!" He crowed as all of the Kyuubi's chakra suddenly bled from Naruto, flying into the open mouth, taking the blond's chakra with it.

His momentum stopped, Naruto began to fall backwards, his blue eyes opened wide in surprize as he watched the chakra disappear into the statues mouth. The last thing Naruto's mind registered was the grinning face of the fox as it manifested, and what looked like a man with long, black hair hovering just inside of the statue, staring back at him with the Rinnegan.

And so, Naruto died.

"NARUTOOOO!!" Hinata screamed, collapsing to her knees in horror.

-End-

A/N- Heh, arn't I evil? Don't hate me just yet tho', there's a silver lining!! R&R please!!


	5. Chapter 4, Identity

A/N- Alright peple, we almost got as many reviews on the last chapter as the first one! Anyway, to the anon. reviewer who asked if I was planning something like in Naruto: Death's Second Chance (by Le loup de Kaiser), I honestly had no idea that my story would bear such resemblences to another story on this site. My story is my own, with a plot that I've spent hours thinking on and eventually writing out that ties the plots of both Bleach and Naruto while coming up with a plausable way of connecting the two in a way that I have yet to see on this site. I thank you for pointing out that story, I'm always looking to read new, interesting things, but my works are inspired only by all of the writers who have written Naru/Bleach stories, my own imagination, and my drive to write something of my own that people will enjoy. I'm not one for taking other people's stories, because in doing so, the only thing I would be able to do is produce a medicore mockery of that person's work, a twisted abomination that is nothing more than an insult. Which, of course, is the major reason why I didn't write a story similar to the one that inspired me to take up writing in the first place.

Anyway, I'm gonna take a poll that MAY influence a single, important point in this stories future. Should Naruto get a dojutsu, considering what I've hinted at his ancestory to be? If I do, I will try to make it as unique as possible, and I've got a few ideas. Anyway, Yes? No? Don't care? Tell meeee!! Only signed reviews will be counted.

**Chapter 4, Identity**

It was dark.

That was the first thing he noticed when he came to, that it was dark. There was some faint light comeing from somewhere, but he coudn't see where, and the only thing it did was it gave him some limited visibility and made everything seem like it was in permenant shadow. It was a vast, empty place, it's only adornments being larg, reflective rocks.

The second thing he realized was that he did not know who he was. He knew that he was a he, and what that meant, but he did not know who he was. He did not know what he was called or where he was from, his memory was a blank. So he had wandered over to one of the reflective rocks, peering at his own hazy reflection. What he saw was a young face, three whisker marks carved into each cheek, with two brilliant blue eyes looking back at him, topped by a head of tousled blond hair. His garb consisted of an orange and black jumpsuit, but not even a search of himself turned up anything about who he was or where he had come from.

The next thing he realized was that he was alone. All alone in this vast, empty, grey place, and he felt a twinge of pain deep in his heart. He knew lonliness, he realized. He knew the pain of not having anyone, and it was terrifying. His fear building, the boy stood up, looking around for any sign of someone else, but he saw nothing.

So the boy started to walk down the path ahead, looking for someone so that he wouldn't be alone anymore, and to find his identity, wandering through the seemingly endless, timeless place.

-Hueco Mundo, unknown area-

Aizen sat upon a throne, one hand resting on his lap while he propped his chin with another, thinking of his recent failure at aquiring the King's Key, which would have ultimately granted him access to his ultimate goal. He'd been defeated by a small oversight on his own part, and his plan had to be temporarily halted as the four captians, that damndable boy, and his friends had all managed to escape from Hueco Mundo back to the Soul Society, helping to thwart his attempt to turn Karakura town's inhabitants into the resources that he needed. Not only that, but he'd even lost that girl! Aizen's hand tightened into a fist, but other than that, he showed no outward signs of his anger. Already, he was beginning to plan his next action, when his senses were suddenly swamped by a huge source of power that seemed to just appear out of nowhere, causing Aizen's eyes to widen slightly. He immediatly recognized the source, it was coming from Karakura, where a soul gate that connected the human world to the other, lost human world. He had long ago set up wards around that particular area after hearing that the people from that world held a great power, and indeed he'd been in contact with one, but when he studied the spirits that came through, they seemed to be no different than any other spirit, so he'd finally given up on them, citing them a lost cause, unless he found some way to repair the damage wrought to the planar paths by the civilization so long ago. This power however, was completely swamping Aizen's senses to the point where he couldn't even feel his arrincar! His interest piqued, Aien stood up. "Tousen, Gin." He called, his fellow traitors answering his call almost immediately.

"Yes, Aizen-sama? How may we help you?" Tousen asked, bowing.

Aizen waved a hand dismissvly at the two. "Gather some Arrincar, as well as a troupe of Gillian. We've some business in Karakura town.

"Hai, Aizen-sama." Tousen bowed, disappearing.

Gin smiled, looking up at his superior. "May I ask what is going on?" He asked.

Aizen nodded. "Something has come up there, a power unlike any I have ever felt before, and I believe it requires my own personal investigation, to see if it will be useful to us. Or, if not, to make sure that those fools in the Soul Society do not get their hands on it." He replied.

Gin nodded, his smirk widening, then he disappeared as well.

-Sereitei, Captain's meeting hall-

Yamamoto sat in his traditional seat at the head of the room as he waited for the other captains to come in and give their weekly reports, when all of a sudden, a huge, familiar-feeling energy washed over him. While this energy felt familiar, something he hadn't felt in mellenia, since he himself had been a small boy, it felt unniquely different at the same time. The source was coming from Karakura, specifically from the old soul gate that was one of the last remnants of the mortal realms old twin plane, in which many wards had been set around to tell Yamamoto exactly when a new soul came through, which only happened every few years or so.

This new feeling though, was so overpowering that Yamamoto almost missed the other captains filing into the room.

"Hey! Can we get this over with? I've got things that need to be done." Kenpachi Zaraki complained loudly, cleaning one ear with a pinky finger as the other captains began to talk quietly amongst each other, save for a few, such as Byakuya Kuchiki.

Yamamoto banged his cane loudly against the floor. "Silence!" He commanded, causing all of the captains, save Zaraki, to straighten up. "We've a grave situation on our hands. One that requires our immediate attention, and so this meeting shall be held at a later time. In addition, four of you shall accompany me to the human city known as Karakura town. The rest shall stay here to oversee the Seireitei while we are gone." He instructed, standing up. "Kenpachi, Byakuya, Toshiro, and Sajin, you shall be the ones t go with me. We leave immdiately." He informed.

Zaraki was the one who decided to speak up at the sudden turn of events. "Hey, old man! What's goin' on, and why are you only bringin' the heaviest of the heavy firepower? I ain't complainin', but I know you'd only take me if you was expectin' a fight." He growled, ignoring Shunsui's complaints about how he was one of the strongest.

Yamamoto nodded, sitting back down. "I shall tell you a brief story. Long ago, when I was still a young boy, before I even started my training, there were five great planes connected together, instead of just ours and the mortal realm. There was our plane, which was ruled by our predessors, the plane of the ivine, in which angels live, the mortal plane and it's twin, and finally the demonic realm. The plane on which the angels live and the plane of the demons had waged war for countless millenia, trying to overcome each other, but neither succeeding, so they eventually came to an uneasy truce. Many years passed, and eventually, on the twin plane to the mortal realm, a powerful man was born, possesing a power that had the ability to overcome even our own, and his birth rekindled the war between Heaven and Hell. He singlehanedly fought off entire armies of both sides, wishing to remain independant. We feared this power, as did those of the mortal realm, which contained vast technologies superior to what they have now, and they created machines that corroded the pathways that kept the plains together. The demonic plane split away completely, and we haven't seen a single demon since, and the twin plane to the mortal realm, which was called Arcanis, drifted away as well, it's lines corroded almost to the breaking point, of which only three survived, allowing the continued circulation of souls to and from that realm, which only happens once every few years now for some reason. The angels grew angry and wiped all technology from the face of the planet, striking the memories that the mortals contained as well, out of anger for what they did. Then they sealed themselves in their own plane, allowing none to enter since." He explained.

"Why were we never told of this?" Ukitake asked, clearly shocked.

Yamamoto bowed his head. "Out of shame, that is why. Our own people had a hand in creating those machines, for we feared that power so, that power that that man called chakra." He replied, staring at his gnarled staff.

Zaraki waved his hand dismissivly. "Yeah yeah, that's a boring story and all, but what does all that have to do with us going to that town?" He asked, growing annoyed.

Yamamoto sighed. "I just felt a great power come from one of the three remaining gates, which happens to reside within Karakura. I do not know if this power is going to be harmful or not, but it feels similar to that of the man whose power caused the great upheaval, though different, in many ways. Not only is that an unknown factor, but there is a chance that the betrayers got wind of the power as well, and we may encounter them. In any case, we are moving out straight away, so I want the four of you to be prepared and at the gate within the next thirty minutes. Dismissed!" He exlaimed, tapping his cane and getting up, walking from the room, leaving the other captains standng there, most of them stunned by the sudden turn of events.

-Karakura Town, Kurosaki resdence-

"SMELLS LIKE BAAAAAD SPIRITS! BWA HA HA HA!" Don Kunonji exlaimed loudly, his voice amplified due to the high volume setting as Isshin and Yuzu laughed loudly as well, imitating the man on t.v. as they crossed their arms over their chests. Ichigo just lay there, eating an orange while Rukiya read a romance manga and Karin dozed on the couch. It had only been recently that Ichigo and co. had saved Orihime and Karakura town from Aizen's plots. It was a time of recouperation, and Ichigo and Rukiya were taking full advantage of it.

-Konoha-

Madara Uchiha was laughing loudly as he watched Naruto's lifeless body slowly fall away, the look of surprize still clear on the dead boy's face.

"NARUTOOO!!" Hinata screamed, horrified, as she watched him decend, smacking solidly against the ground hard enough to bounce him clear from the protective barriar around the gigantic statue. She tried to run to him, but she was grabbed solidly around the waist by Kiba.

"No Hinata, don't do it! It's too late for Naruto, but your going to his body now might provoke them!" He exlaimed, tightening his grip against Hinata's struggles.

"NO! I MUST GO TO HIM, I MUST! NARUTO! NARUTO, PLEASE WAKE UP!" Hinata wailed, tears pouring down her face as she pulled uselessly against Kiba's grip before breaking down completely, sobs wracking her tiny frame as she slid to her knees.

Madara's laughter finally died down, but his smirk never left as he watched the drama play itself out. "Throw Sasuke down there as well. They wanted him back so bad, so I guess they can have him." He ordered. Juugo nodded mutely and hefted the semi-concious Uchiha in the air, chucking him off to land not too far from Naruto. Looking over at Pain, Madara nodded, giving the go-ahead.

Pain's five bodies nodded in return, and leapt up, landing upon the statue's head. Each body began chanting ominously and going through it's own set of handseals in a rapid pace. They were flying through handseals faster than anyone could easily see, save for Kakashi, who had revealed his Sharingan. Tsunade looked at him questioningly after a few moments. "They've gone through 6,928 handseals so far, each one going through a different set than the others." He said, answering her unasked question. Tsunade nodded wordlessly, looking back up at them, her anger and sorrow raging inside her.

Simultaniously, all five bodies finished their handseals and placed their right hands on the statue's head, raising their left in the sign of release. "KAI!" They all shouted at once. The effects were instantanious as a dark, evil light shot from the ground around the circle, in the exact diamater of the shield that protected the statue and Akatsuki. Everything living that the void touched decentegrated, disappearing completely as it was sucked into the gaping maw. Hellish screams began to emit from the hole as several pairs of hands appeared, grasping at the rim. Demons of all sorts began to pull themselves out, ranging anywhere from Kappa roughly half the size of a regular man all the way up to hulking Ogres more than five times that sie, weilding all sorts of weapons, from axes and sickles to naginata andswords. In one unique case, a particularly large oni that had the head of a demonic horse hefted a large iron rod, easily eight inches thick and seven feet long, the thing looked increadibly heavy, yet the oni swung it with apparent ease. Hundreds of demons emerged from the hole, easily outmatching the Konoha forces by five to one.

Then it rose.

It was a beast almost as tall as the statue itself, and almost twice as thick, heavily muscled and covered by a carapace that seemed like a dull grey armor. The thing's head was covered completely by the carapace, allowing for no vunerabilities there, though it seemed to be able to see just fine. The creature's torso was similarly armored, though less so at the joints for flexibility. Both of it's arms were as thick as a Konoha gaurd tower, tipped with three, meaty fingers that it opened and closed, reaching out and grasping the top of one of said towers, squeezing it's hand shut, eaily crushing the stone and mortar. A trap of over twenty explosive tags that had been set by ANBU on the tower erupted in a huge ball of flame, covering the creature's entire forearm, but it seemed unharmed by the explosion.

Madara laughed, flinging his arm out. "GO, MY PETS! FEAST ON MORTAL FLESH, WHICH YOU HAVE NOT TASTED IN MILLENIA!" He yelled. The demons screamed their bloodlust as they complied, surging towards the Konoha defenders, who answered the charge with a warcry of their own, meeting the onslaught with a head on charge. "Alright, let us go to the next phase of our plan." He said quietly to the others, dismissing the statue, which disappeared in a plume of smoke, dropping them all to the ground.

"...Where did those demons come from?" One of Pain's bodies asked as they began leaping through the trees.

Madara remained silent for several seconds, as if contemplating his answer. "That is the ultimate power of our weapon. Using the power of all nine Bijuu and their ability to use chakra that they gained from being imprisoned in humans at one point or another, their energies can be channeled through you and the statue, opening a small, temporary portal that connects to a long-lost realm called Hell. Not even the Bijuu can open and maintain a permenant portal, however, so it collapses after only a moment, but every demon that is able to come through will remain. This is how we can bring peace through destruction Pain, by using demons, which we an control. No one will be able to argue with us, for we will have an army at our beck and call that we can use at any time we please." He finally said.

Pain nodded, sparing one last glance back at Konoha, from which smoke was already rising into the air as he wondered for the first time if what he was doing was the right thing.

And so Akatsuki and Hawk disappeared into the horizon, leaving The Village Hidden in the Leaves to burn.

-Konoha-

Despite their sudden attack, the demons found themselves stopped suddenly by these mortals, who were fighting tooth and nail for their home, not willing to back down for anything short of victory or death. The initial ranks of demons were decimated by several high powered jutsu, with the exceptions of the ones who held an elemental affinity for the attacks they were hit with. Several barrages of kunai and shuriken, as well as explosive tag traps took out many more, but even through all that, the defenders hardly made a dent in the attacking force whcih began to wreak havoc throughout the town, several close-in fights breaking out between groups of ninja and demons, and at the center of it all was the gigantic demon, whose power was roughly equal to that of Shukaku, smashing through buildings with ease. Demons laughed, the dying screamed, and they all fought.

"Sakura, attack number seventeen!" Tsunade cried out one of her and her student's preplanned attack methods for dealing with large forces, slamming her fist into the ground as roughly two hundred demons charged them. "RIGHT!" Sakura replied as her master's attack shook the very Earth about them, slowing the charge and breaking several large slabs of rock loose, lifting them into the air. With a yell, Sakura slammed her fist into the largest of the slabs with every ounce of strength she could muster, turning the six ton rock into a flying missle that promised death to any it hit, mowing down the center line of charging demons, disorganizing them.

With a roar of defiance, the Konoha ninja charged, Tsunade and Hinata leading them, screaming their battlecries in righteous fury. Those bastards would pay!

-Karakura Town-

The boy looked around, unsure of what was going on. He could see people and buildings around him, but they were transparent, and he could not interact with them, and the pain of being ignored was starting to crush him. "Please, just talk to me!" He cried out, grasping at a female passer-by, only to watch in dispair as his hand passed right through.

"Boy, are you alright?"

The old, gravelly voice caused the boy to whirl around, to be greeted by quite the sight. Standing there, was an old, smiling man with a long, flowing beard tied together with a rope, leaning heavily on a cane. Behind him was an assortment of odd characters, ranging from a boy who looked to be younger than himself to a a tall, insanely grinning man with spikey hair, an eyepatch, and a scar going down the length of his face. They all dressed alike, and every one, save for the old man, carried a sword.

"Ah-are yuh-you talking tuh-to me?" The boy managed to stutter out, his eyes going wide, someone was aknowlaging his exisence!

The old man nodded, looking at the boy, who appeared to be transparent for some reason, and was about to answer, when a sudden power washed over them all. Looking up, the five captains saw a rift open, five blocks of energy decending, containing Aizen and his entourage. "Betrayer, what are you doing here?!" Yamamoto snarled, gripping his cane tightly as the other captains drew their swords, looking grim, with the exception of Zaraki, who was sporting a huge grin, as their reiatsu began to overflow, clashing with the power that was coming off of the hollows.

"I was actually coming to see into this interesting little nugget of power over there. What is happening to him anyway? Is he being affected by our flaring powers?" Aizen replied conversationally, motioning towards the blond boy.

Looking over, Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as he observed the boy. The boy was standing there, his eyes open wide, staring at nothing. Suddenly, he let out an ear-splitting scream of pain as he fell to his knees, clutching at his head. The weird energy that had drawn them all there pulsed strongly, causing everyone to freeze momentarily as a huge dome of blue, swirling energy picked up around him, covering the boy completely, blocking him from view. The boy's energy fluctuated wildly, changing from the feeling that they'd all first experienced to that of a Shinigami's then to that of even a hollow's, each feeling blending into another before changing, feeling at times as weaker than an unseated officers, and at others completely dwarfing any of their own. The dome swirled around the boy for several moments as the energy fluctuated, before finally stabalizing, the swirling dome beginning to die down. The very first gap in which they were able to see through caused all of the Shinigami to gasp slightly, save for Zaraki, whose grin grew even wider.

For in that brief instant, all gathered parties caught a flash of white around a left eye, which glowed as red as if it were being lit by hellfire itself.

Aizen would have smiled, bt for some unknown reason, a single shudder coursed down his spine. What was this feeling that was coming off of the boy?

-End-


	6. Chapter 5, Life Redefined

A/N- Well now! Here are the story stats since I last showed them; words- 16715 chapters-5 reviews- 22 hits- 2042 c2s- 4 favs- 10 alerts- 23. Now this is the kinda thing I love to see! C'mon folks, lets see if we can't make 'em even higher! This story has officially become my longest (wordcount) as of the last chapter, as well as being the second most reviewed and the third most read. Thank you all!

Anyway, now that I've been given his permission, I shall reveal to you all the man who inspired me to become a writer on this site. His name is Kayemsi, and the story of his that I read which lit my want to write is called Ranma, the Second Time Around. It is the best ranma story I've ever read, and I think you all, or at least those of you who know the Ranma series, will love it, so go read it! (Just a soon as you've read this chapter and reviewed that is! heh.)

Anyway, the poll is now closed, and the vote count is 4 in favor of Naruto getting a dojutsu, and 0 against, so he gets it!

**Chapter 5, Life Redefined**

-Karakura Town-

The boy's eyes were wide, an overwhelming feeling of happiness flowing up from deep within him. Someone was aknowlaging him! Sure, it was a bit unsettling, they were as transparent as everything else around him, but they saw him, they talked to him! The boy was about to reply to the old man when a sudden rift opened over them, several odd looking figures emerging from it, including a number of black, towering beings wearing white masks with long, pointed noses. They were led by a trio of oddly dressed men, the foremost of which appeared to be the leader of the group, his unsettling, emotionless eyes resting on the boy as he observed him.

The boy looked between the two groups, wondering why they looked ready to tear one another apart, when the reiatsu from the shinigami hit him, washing over the boy like a tidal wave. The boy stopped dead, his eyes going wide at the sudden influx of power. He didn't know what was going on, but he heard an urgent whispering at the back of his mind, trying to warn him of something, or so it seemed. The boy was trying to listen to the voice, when the power of the other beings suddenly slammed into him as well, clashing with the power from the friendly men who suddenly seemed so much more dangerous. As he stood there, a second, much darker voice appeared in his mind, saying something that he could not make out. Without warning, a terrible pain ripped through the boy's very being, causing him to fall to his knees, clutching his head as he let out a terrible scream of pain, his vision blacking out when the pain became unbearable...

... Only to find himself in a completely new place when he was able to see again. It was a sprawling town, completely different from the place he was just at, covered in trees, and he was standing atop a tower that overlooked it all. It looked to be a familiar, calming place, and it would have been, if not for the two figures who suddenly appeared in front of the boy, furiously battling one another with identical swords, giant claymores that were every bit five feet long, wide at the base, gradually becoming slimmer, up until they reached a point at the tip of the blade. Both weapons had foot-long handles capped with silver ends, and a spiral swirl inset in the thickest part of the blade.

One of the two, the taller, looked to be a wizened old man wearing white and red robes, along with a large hat that covered his head, the kanji for fire boldly inscribed on the front. His face, which was deeply carved with wrinkles, was set in a grimace of determination as he expertly twirled the large sword, parrying a thrust by his opponent.

Said opponent looked exactly like the boy himself, except for the fact that he was pure white. His hair, his skin, his clothes, all of it. His eyes however, his eyes were wide and wild, with golden irises and black sclera. His blade, while being shaped exactly like the old man's, had a black blade with a silver handle.

The two fought with fervor, theirs being a dance of death as they twirled around one another, their flashing blades sparking every time they made contact, the air about them ringing with the continued battle. _"Give it up you stupid geezer, this body will be mine!"_ The ghostly white boy laughed, jumping over the old man, attempting to slash him as he sailed overhead, only to have the old man block at the last possible second.

"Never! You shall never have control!" The old man said sharply, about to go into another complex set of attacks when a brief flash of orange caught his eye. "Wha?!" He seemed surprized, looking past his opponent, seeing the boy standing there, looking surprized and frightened.

The ghostly boy with black eyes saw the old man's staring over his shoulder, so he decided to lean his head back, bending it at an impossible angle as he stared at the boy directly behind him. _"Well whadda ya know, it's the boss! Hey there boss, I was wondering if you'd accept my invitation! Now that you're here, how about handing me the keys so that I can be in control, eh?"_ He asked, laughing insanely.

"Wha... Wha... huh?" The boy was confused by the words, stumbling back and falling onto his rear when he saw the pure evil in the other boy's eyes. "Wh-what a-are you?" He stuttered. Unbidden, a single word popped into his head, hollow. "Uh... Are yuh... you a-a hollow?" He asked fearfully.

The other boy turned around, straightning his head with a sickening pop as a huge grin spread aross his face. _"BINGO! Let's give the boss a prize, he got it right on his first try! Though, do let me correct you a bit. I am a hollow, but I'm just not any hollow. I'm you! I'm all the evil that's ever collected in your heart over the years, taken form now that my brothers powers have awakened me. It was just a bit unfortunate that he old geezer over there was awakened when the power of those stupid shinigami had to go and unleash their power, but he won't be a problem once I've gained control... SO GIVE ME YOUR BODY! LET ME DEVOUR YOUR SOUL_!" He screamed, darting forward, his sword raised high over his head, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

The boy scooted backwards, shutting his eyes tightly as he waited for the sword to cleave him in half, but it never came. Instead, a sharp ringing assaulted his ears, causing the boy to open his eyes and look up. There, kneeling in front of him, was the old man, his face red with effort as he held his sword above his head, holding the hollow's claymore in check. "RUN BOY!" He roared, pushing the hollow back with a mighty shove.

The boy didn't nee to be told twice, stumbling to his feet and taking off, running from the two towards a door that was situated on the roof. Grabbing the knob, the boy wrenched the door open, slamming it behind himself as he ran towards a nearby stairwell, clamoring down the steps as fast as he could go. He had not gotten more than a few flights however, when he heard the door that he'd come through get hit hard enough to be knocked off it's hinges, flying over the railing and disappearing into the darkness as it fell past the boy. _"BOOOOOOSSSSS! WHERE AAAAAARE YOUUUUU? COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!"_The hollow called out, his words accompanied by his insane laughter as he grasped the guard rail and promptly leapt off, landing just a few flight above where the boy was.

The boy, in a panic, looed around for any way to escape, having come to the end of the stairs. He spotted a door that had a sign reading 'chakra system' just above it, so the boy dove through the doors, suddenly finding himself in a dirty sewer full of knee-deep water, barely lit by dingy lights that dangled from the ceiling, revealing two different complex networks of pipes, both networks a dull black, looking unused. The boy ran down the hallway, followng the pipeline, running for what seemed like several moments. As the boy ran, he saw an opening ahead, and sped towards it, bursting into a cathedral-sized room. On one side of the room were two golden barred doors, so tall that they disappeared into the darkness above. The doors were standing wide open, a small scrap of paper with the kanji for seal laying at their base. On the other side of the room was another set of doors that looked to be made of solid oak, sealed tightly together, every bit as large as the cage doors. Aside from these two sets, there were no other exits that the boy could see. Hearing the insane laughter from the hollow echo through the halls, the boy looked desperately between the two sets of doors, finally deciding on the closed ones, his instincts warning him to stay away from the cage doors. His mind made up, the boy ran to the large oaken doors, pressing his body against them, tryng to open them. They refused to budge, however, and the boy could hear the hollow growing ever closer, calling out to him. The boy squeezed his eyes shut and pushed harder against the door, putting all of his strength into the effort. "Open!" He cried out.

And so they did, sliding open a tiny crack, a blindingly white light emenating from them, washing over the boy, whose eyes had shot open. "Oh..." He breathed, reaching towards the light, which began to shine so brightly that it whited everything out...

-Konoha-

The battle continued to rage on, fighters on both sides falling to deadly strikes by their opponents. It was quickly revealed however, that for some reason, the Hyuuga were far more dangerous to the demons than any of the other ninja, their jyuuken proving to be fatal to the denizens of Hell. Unsure of why, but glad for it none the less, the ninja pushed their advantage, the Hyuuga spearheading the assaults as they tried to regain lost ground.

Where a normal Hyuuga was dangerous to the demonic forces, Hinata was absolutely devestating. Her pure heart and soul, which had been for so long looked down upon by the other Hyuuga, made her attacks against the demons all the more deadly, even the smallest amount of chakra channeled through her Jyuuken blowing holes straight through her opponents, collapsing them. Spurred on by a need for vengance, Hinata's veins around her eyes buldged, granting her ever greater sight as she tore through her enemies like a divine wind, taking down three for every one that any other ninja managed to fell. Seeing her as the greatest threat, several of he strongest demons decided that she needed to be taken care of first.

Despite their advantage however, Konoha was still being overwhelmed...

-Naruto's mindscape-

He knew who he was.

Naruto slowly opened hs eyes, the light that surrounded him dying down. He knew who he was, he remembered it all. He was Naruto Uzumaki, proud ninja of Konohakagure, and he had precious people that he needed to save. "THAT DAMNED FOX!" He screamed, his anger rising as he remembered his last moments, as he remembered how the Kyuubi had tricked hm.

_"Hey boss, you've got bigger problems than that fuzzball at the moment. Ready to hand the keys over yet?"_ A mocking voice asked from Naruto's left.

whirling around, Naruto came face to face with his inner hollow, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I've got no time for you, bastard, so get out of my way." He growled, noting that the old man, who looked like Sarutobi-jiji, lay against a far wall, a deep gash in his chest, his breathing labored and slow.

Naruto's hollow giggled._ "Now now, don't be like that! I want control, and neither of us will be leaving here until I've got the keys!" _He screamed, bringing his claymore to bear as he leapt at Naruto, bringing his sword down in a vicious slash, bent on taking the whiskered blond's head from his shoulders.

Naruto reached back, grasping at a pair of kunai that appeared, bringing them around to block the sword slash. The weapons clanged loudly off of one another, and the fight began. Naruto immediately followed the parry by flicking his wrist, sending one of the kunai flying at his inner hollow, who thew his head back in an attempt to dodge, the blade just barely nicking his chin as he leapt away, trying to get in a parting slash, only to have it blocked by Naruto's other kunai. Naruto mirrored his evil clone's jump, leaping away even as he reached into his pouch, a brace of shuriken appearng in his hands, tossing them at his opponent.

The hollow had a look of surprize on it's face, still in mid-air as the projectiles sped towards him... Up until the last second, when he grinned and brought the sword around in a wide arc. It looked as f the claymore would never make it to knock the weapons out of the way, but suddenly it disappeared, his arm blurring at the shoulder, the shuriken falling into small, jagged peices of metal that bounced uselessly on the ground. _"That was pathetic!"_ It crowed, letting loose a harsh bark of laughter. _"Let me tell ya somethin' boss..." It finally said, it's laughter dying away. "...That ability, which is unique to this zanpakto of ours, makes any ranged attack useless, especially one so puny as some thrown shuriken. That technique is called 'Lightning Sword'. Basically, it's focousng all of your energy into your sword arm and letting it go wild, exerting only enough control to make it swing where you want it to. It's a technique that's to fast to be followed by the naked eye."_ The hollow explained, a cruel smirk spreading across it's lips._ "Now, out of the goodness of my heart, I'm gonna show ya another attack that comes from this sword. Ya might wanna pay attention too, cuz' this'll be the last attack you'll ever see! Not that you'll even see it, it's basically a full-body version of the other, but hey, use what ya got, right? Ain't I such a nice guy? You'll only feel agonizing pain, I promise! Now then... WILD LIGHTNING!" _The hollow exlaimed, his image suddenly blurring, then he disappeared completely.

Naruto glanced around, crossing his arms in front of his face as he watched for any sign of his opponent. All of a sudden, he heard a screeching sound, causing him to jerk his head in the direction of the Kyuubi's cage, several of the bars, which had been sliced into small peices, falling to the floor. Naruto's eyes widened, as suddenly the hollow blurred back into sight right in front of him, the claymore sinking into Naruto's gut. "WHA-?!" He began to cough blood as he dropped his kunai, the hollow's fingers wrapping around his throat. A sudden, jolting pain, completely unrelated to the one coming from having a giant sword stuck through him, erupted from both the area where the sword, as well as the hollow's hand, made contact with his body. Glancing down, Naruto saw that a whiteness, exactly like that of the hollow before him, began to spread across his body. "Wha... wha...?!" Naruto was unable to form any coherent words or thoughts, his mind panicing due to the lack of oxygen and the tainted energy that was quickly eating away at his soul, feeling his wll to live slipping away. Naruto's life began to flash before his eyes, letting him see everything, all the hardships he'd lived through, the few happy moments and people who defined his life, every mssed oppertunity, everything, up to that point, including the conversations he'd had with the hollow. Suddnely, Naruto found himself standing there, facing all of the people that were precious to him, both alive and dead. There stood Sarutobi-jiji and Iruka-sensei, smiling proudly at the boy, along with Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and all of his friends in the rookie nine and the sand siblings. Lee and Gai stood off to one side, both giving Naruto a thumbs up, and Sakura and Sasuke were both standing close to the front of the group, Sakura grinning at him while Sasuke had his back turned to him, just the faintest trace of a smile visible from what little of his profile that could be seen. However, it was Hnata who stood out in the forefront of the group, smiling softly at him as she held out her hands, her lips barely moving as she said something that he could not hear, but plainly knew what it was anyway... Suddenly, everything that the hollow had said began to repeat through Naruto's head, over and over, and his eyes widened in understanding.

The hollow laughed again, watching as almost all of Naruto's body was transformed, his head sagged forward in unconciousness, it was almost time! Suddenly, however, Naruto's hands shot up, grabbing the hollows arm that was squeezing his throat. _"What the hell?! Some lame-ass final act of defiance? Well, it won't work, you stupid bitch! It's too late for anything now except for my dominance, ya hear me?! THIS IS MY TIME TO SHINE!"_ It screamed, tightening it's grip on Naruto's throat, even as his grip tightened on it's arm, his head coming up until his blue eyes met it's gold.

Nartuo weakly shook his head as best he could. "Th... That's w-where're yuh... you're wrong... I can't loose to you... for... for one reason..." He said weakly as the color began to return to his body, the taint receeding.

_"Oh yeah? And what's that supposed to be?"_ The hollow asked, the slightest hint of doubt in it's voice.

"This..." Naruto breathed. His lips continued to move,whispering something as the hollow's eyes went wide, and then everything disappeared in a flash just as Naruto grinned.

-Karakura Town-

Everyone's eyes widened as the energy dome surrounding the boy slowly died to nothingness, even Aizen's, if ever by the slightest margin. For there, where the boy had been, stood a hollow, roughly ten feet tall, though it was crouched over, covered in a dull white exoskeleton. It's mask was long, with a pointed chin and two horns that sprouted from the forehead and swept back over the skull, two slitted eyes glowing a burning red. It's body was lean and sinewy looking, but one glance spoke of untold amounts of raw power packed within. It's arms, which were long and spindly, were easily seven feet long, the elbows covered by wicked-looking boney protrusions that stuck out, each hand capped by five long dark talons. From it's back sprouted two extra appendages, at just about where the shoulderblades were, both being roughly four seet in length, capped off by a pair of sythe-like blades, looking as if they could be whipped in any direction. It's legs were even longer than it's arms, being thin as well, and containing two sets of joints, the top set bending forward while the bottom ones bent in the opposite direction, giving the appearance that they were meant for great bursts of speed. Out of the hollow's backside swung a bone-covered tail in a wide, lazy arc, tipped with a lethal dagger-like point.

Yamamoto held up a hand, preparing to order the captains to attack the creature, when all of a sudden, a high-pitched curse came from deep inside it, and it's back burst open, a familiar blond head emerging from it as the boy pulled himself from the empty husk. "Kuso, that was rough!" The boy complained, rubbing his head, jumping down and dusting some chips from his shoulders. Where the boy had been dressed in an orange jumpsuit before, he was now dressed in shinigami attire, and he didn't even have a sword at his waist!

"How is this possible?" Yamamoto asked, his eyes hardening and his hand staying where it was.

Naruto laguhed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well..."

-Naruto's mindsape, seconds before-

"This..." Naruto whispered hoarsly "...You see, you yourself told me inadvertantly, but it wasn't until I saw the faces of those who are precious to me as my life passed before my eyes that it all clicked together and made sense. You see, you kept on blabbing while you chased me and we fought, saying 'we' this and 'us' that, referring to the two of us being the same person. You yourself said that you are the darkness within my wn heart given form. Tell me,if you're me, and I'm you, then how could we possibly be able to defeat each other? Well, you might be able to beat me, causing my spirit to become a hollow, but I've alreay won. Once I realized that you were a part of me, I understood that all I had to do was accept you for what you are, the dark part of me, and that was the end of it, because I won't kill myself, I can't." He said quietly, releasing the stunned hollow's arm an wrapping his arms around it, embracing his inner darkness in a gentle hug. A bright light flashed from in between the two, and when it died away, Naruto was standing there on his own and fully healed, the hollow having become one with him.

Turning, he saw the old man who looked like Sarutobi-jiji standing there, fully healed as well, smiling as he held the claymore out to take. "I see that you've discovered the truth of things m'boy. Since you know that we are both a part of you, there is no need for me to remain a seperate concience. So take my true form in hand boy, and whenever you have need of me, I shall appear for you." He stated proudly as Naruto took the claymore from him.

"How will I know? What do I call you?" Naruto asked, staring down at the giant sword in his hands.

The old man grinned. "You know already boy, you just have to say it out loud." He said simply, fading from view as Naruto's vision began to blacken.

-Karakura, present-

Yamamoto's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the boy in front of him. "Is what you say true? You have both the powers of a hollow AND a full shinigami?!" His eyes narrowed again. "So which are you boy? A Vizard, or an Arrancar?" He asked.

Naruto grinned in return. "Neither! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the most surprizing ninja you'll ever meet!" He stated proudly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a home to save, so I'll see you all later!" He exlaimed, turning from them.

Aizen, his eyes narrowing, snapped his fingers. One of the Gillian that accompanied them glided forward, reaching down for the boy, intending to crush him. It was much to everyone's surprize, however, when Naruto whirled around, a large claymore appearing in his hands as he slashed downwards, a huge flare of energy erupting from him as most of the rght side of the Gillian disappeared, causing the collossal beast to tumble backwards, disentegrating. Naruto shot a glare at Aizen. "Don't try that again. I've got an important mission, and no one will stand in my way of saving my precious people." He growled, the large swrd disappearing as he turned on his heel and ran through the soul gate, disappearing into the swirling mists as he went into the timeless land of the dead.

Aizen, seeing that the boy was now beyond their grasp, snapped his fingers again, a large rift appearing over their heads as several Gillian used their abilities to seal the group in a different demension, pulling them upwards.

"Betrayer! Do you plan on running once again?" Yamamoto called out.

Aizen looked back dwn at the old man, smirking slightly. "Soon, old man, soon. Your time shall come" He replied, and then they were gone, the rift sealing closed behind them.

Yamamoto sighed, looking back into the gate between the worlds. "And what shall become off the boy?" He asked no one in particular.

Zaraki grinned. "I dunno, but he better come back soon, I wanna fight him." He said, Toshiro openng a gate back to the Seireitei.

Yamamoto sighed one last time, before turning to the opening gate.

-Konoha-

The battle was going horribly. Ninja fell before the might of the demonic horde, the great demon leading the way. Yest, despite all of this, despite their lagging strength and failing morale, Hinata pressed forward, fighting off any demons that engaged her as she inche her way across the battlefield, trying desperatly to reach Naruto's body, Sakura and the others sticking right by her.

However, there were still over a hundred demons between Hinata nad her goal,a nd it was not lost on them that the dangerous girl had some goal in mind other than their defeat. Demons may be chaotic and evil creatures, but one thing that could not be said about them was that they were unintelligent. Notibly, the horse headed oni had stayed in the rear ranks during the battle, noting that more often than not, her gaze kept lighting on the dead blond that lay not to far away. A cruel smirk forming on it's mouth, the demon put two and two together, reaching down and grabbing the dead boy by the collar of his jumpsuit, hefting him high into the air. _**"Little girl! Is this what you are looking for?"**_ The demon calle out tauntingly, shaking the body in it' grip.

"Naruto-kun! Put him down you bastard!" Hinata screamed, watching in horror as the demon laughed evilly, pulling Naruto's head to the side as it lowered it's opening maw towards his exposed jugular...

... Only for it's eyes to go wide in shock, wondering why it was flying backwards, even as it's upper torso shredded. Hinata's eyes widened as well, filling with tears as she clasped her hands over her mouth and gasped, watching as the boy who she loved and thought dead landed lightly on his feet and go into a crouch, his head lowered. Straightening up, his head began to raise, and Naruto's blue eyes met with Hinata's lavender ones, before he looked past her and his eyes narrowed in anger, turning a brilliant silver color, his pupils slitting.

Unable to take the shock, Hinata fainted.

-End-


	7. Chapter 6, The Fight for Konoha, part 1

A/N- Whoa! Almost 1,000 more hits since I posted the last chapter! (Only around 200 or so actually read the last chapter though, so, I dunno.) Anyway, thank you all who reviewed!

WARNING! The latter part of this chapter contains scenes of explecit violence and gore, not to mention some rather dirty language and bad situations not meant for kids, as well as some fluffy stuff! You have been warned!

**Chapter 6, The Fight for Konoha part 1, Sword of the Executioner**

Naruto didn't know how long he'd been running. At times, it felt like he'd only been running for a few minutes, at others like days, yet he never grew tired. He had no way of knowing how long it had been, for nothing ever changed in this odd, shadowed place, but he knew that he had to continue, his sense of urgency driving him ever-onward over the seemingly endless path.

And so Naruto continued his journey along the timeless path between worlds, in the land of the dead.

Naruto began to tic off the miles as he ran, jus to see how long it would take him to get home, where ever home was, though after nearly a thousand miles, he grew bored with that. He'd tried multiple times to veer off the path, to wander across the vast plains and see if there could be another way, but he could never get more than a dozen feet in either direction before he was abruptly stopped by an unseen force, as if an invisible wall would suddenly spring up in front of him. Cursing after slamming into the wall for the seventh time, Naruto decided to just continue along the path ahead.

He'd taken no more than a dozen steps though, when Naruto felt an eerie, yet familar presence directly behind himself, and his stomach began to tingle. Whirling around, Naruto came face-to-face with a large creature, maybe fifteen feet tall, hovering there, wearing a ragged black hakama. It's hair was white and unruly, it's face pale and pointed, and it's mouth full of needle-sharp teeth. It's eyes were narrowed into cruel slits and trained directly onto Naruto's face. "HOLY JEEZUM-CROW! IT'S THE SHINIGAMI!!" Naruto screeched, leaping back, his hair standing on end.

**_"What are you doing here, little shinigami? Your kind does not belong here."_** The death god rumbled, reaching into it's hakama and drawing a rather large knife.

"Waitwaitwait! I'm no shinigami! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, ninja extrodinare!" Naruto exlaimed, eyeing the large blade that was pointed at him with trepidation. "Besides, I can't be the shinigami, 'cuz that's you!" He followed up, pointing at the large creature.

The ghostly being gazed at Naruto. **_"...If you are not a shinigami from the other world, then why do you have the powers and garb of one?"_** It asked.

Naruto looked down in surprize at his own shinigami attire. "WHAT THE HELL?! Where's my jumpsuit?!" He questioned, searching under the robes, finding nothing but his own chest. "So is that what those guys were? Shinigami? I thought you were the only one!" He exlaimed, pointing at the floating figure again.

The shinigami tilted it's head, looking at the strange little ghost before it. **_"So you came into contact with others... and it awakened your own latent powers..."_** It stated slowly, floating forward a bit as it bent over slightly to get a closer look at Naruto. **_"I have the form of a shinigami, yet I am not truely one. I am one of the three paths of the dead, given this form to help those of your realm find their way to the afterlife. You, however, have already gone down the path, met the real shinigami, and have come back along the path. Why do you come back? You have died."_** It stated.

"Because I've gotta get back to save everyone, beat the hell outta Akatsuki and that bastard fox, and become Hokage!" Naruto exlaimed, striking (what he thought was) a heroic pose, one hand on his hip and the other pointing upwards into the distance.

Something seemed to spark in the Shinigami's eyes. **_"Fox?"_** It asked.

Naruto nodded, squinting his eyes as he crossed his arms. "Yeah! The Kyuubi no Kitsune, the greatest of all the tailed demons! That stupid idiot managed to convince me that he'd turned a new leaf, and he wanted to help me kill our enemies and save all of my friends, even though we'd die in the process! I agreed and released him, and we attacked those Akatuki bastards, putting everything into one last attack! But at the last second, they unsealed some giant statue and the Kyuubi willingly went into it, taking my chakra with him! Then that orange-masked freak told me that they'd been planning that all along! Fucking assholes!" Naruto yelled, waving his arms about in frustration.

The death god nodded slowly. "**_That explains a lot, young one, and tells me who you are, for I was the one who pulled half of the Kyuubi into you."_** It stated, it's rumbling voice unchanging.

Naruto looked up at the Shinigami in shock. "Wait, only half?! So there's another half sealed somewhere else?" He asked in surprize

The Shinigami nodded silently.

"THEN WHAT IN THE HELL ARE WE SITTING AROUND HERE FOR?! I'VE GOTTA GO FIND THAT THING AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE BASTARDS DON'T GET THEIR HANDS ON IT!" Naruto screamed, getting ready to sprint off.

**_"Hold, boy."_** The Shinigami said, floating around in front of Naruto, blocking his path. **_"The fact remains that you are dead, Naruto Namikaze. While it is possible for you to reinhabit your body, due to your being a Shinigami, it will most likely disrupt the new balance that has been created. Millenia ago, the Shinigami and the mortals of the realm that is the twin to your own feared the power that your ancestor developed, and created great machines that tried to sever the ties that bound the worlds, disrupting the balance. I was born, as well as a psuedo-demonic plain to pull everything back into the great balance, and the powers of the Shinigami were forever sealed from your world. Your going back could very well disrupt this tenuous balance again. Could you live with the consequences? Would you risk bringing the world to chaos and ruin?"_** It asked.

Naruto glared up at the great being before him. "Listen up! You talk as if my going back will bring about the end of the world or something, which is an uncertain thing in any case. But if I don't go back and stop Akatsuki, they WILL destroy the world, that much can guarantee, because that's the only possible reason why they could need such an incredible power as the nine great demons to make a weapon! I don't know how or why, but I do know that I need to stop them!" He retorted angrily.

The Shinigami nodded lowly, as if mulling over Naruto's words.**_ "That is correct, young Namikaze. You are mentioned in prophecy, but I cannot reveal anything to you due to the fact that revealing such things could imbalance the possible outcomes of what may yet come to pass. I will tell you this, however; When you return to the world you are from, your natural power will be multiplied many times over, due to the fact that it took a considerable amount of your own power to contain the Yin of the great fox demon. That, along with the powers of the Shinigami and the hollow that have been unlocked within you, will make you a terrible force to be reckoned with. Know this though, it is unknown to how these powers will react to one another, and they may very well tear you apart, soul and all. So be cautious, for I do not know how they will react to your unique bloodline. The Hyuuga and the Uchiha were created due to the influences of the angelic and demonic energies exposed to the unborn children of your ancestor, so your own powers may have a unique effect on your eyes as well. Are you ready?"_** It asked.

"HELL YEAH!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

The Shinigami nodded, holding out one arm as a shimmering portal appeared, showing Naruto the close face of a horse-thingie with really sharp teeth, looking like it was going to bite him the second he came through.**_ "Go through then, Naruto Namikaze, and embrace your destiny."_** The Shinigami said.

Nodding again, Naruto leapt at the portal, ready to pummel the horse-thingie first thing, then go after Akatsuki and that damned fox. _'What in the hell was that crazy guy talking about though? A bloodline? And why in the hell did he keep calling me by the Fourth's last name? Ah well, who cares, I've got more important things to deal with!'_ He thought, hitting the portal head on.

As Naruto went through the portal, the Shinigami closed it, sending a spark of the life energy it had collected over the millenia with the boy to revive his body, knowing that his innate abilities would take care of the rest. Having caught Naruto's parting thoughts, the great beast slowly shook it's head, wondering how such a pivotal peice in the fate of the great balance could be so dense. "**_Baka..."_** It muttered, before disappearing itself.

-Konoha-

The horse-headed demon leaned closer, intending to bite into Naruto's neck when it felt a slight pulse of energy.

Already feeling his chakra reserves beginning to refill by some unkown power, Naruto quickly formed a Rasengan in one hand, his years of trining with Jiraiya paying off as he was now able to do it one-handed. Naruto was about to use it, when a sudden dea hit him, and he delved back into the core of his being, where he felt the presence of his slowly rebuilding chakra, his reiatsu, nd his hollow energies residing. Mentally reaching out, Naruto grasped at he reiatsu, carefully melding a portion of it into the spinning ball of chakra in his hand, causing the energies of spirit and body to fuse together a Naruto felt a small twinge inside of himself, taking the Rasengan to another level of power as he slammed it into the belly of the beast that held him, watching as it's eyes flew wide in surprize as the chaotic powers that propelled it shred it's upper half into small strips of gore and splatters of blood that rained down on the large group of demons that stood between him and his friends. Landing in a crouch, Naruto slowly stood up and opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the light as he locked gazes with Hinata, who gasped in surprize. Naruto let his gaze flit past Hinata, towards the greater portion of Konoha, which seemed to be partially ablaze as demons and ninja fought. _'THOSE BASTARDS!'_ Naruto thought angrily, watching the demons attack his preoccupied friends, feeling the powers within him surge together in response to his anger, causing another twinge deep within his being.

And then his vision shifted. Everything exploded into vibrant hues of colors, spanning what seemed to be the entire color spectrum, surrounding everything in brilliant auras. It was all so shocking that Naruto almost missed watching the aura surrounding Hinata shift colors as she fainted from shock. Blinking, Naruto notced that the demons that were standing between him and Hinata and the others tensed, their tainted auras flaring as the prepared to attack the downed girl. "HEY YOU BASTARDS, OVER HERE!" Naruto yelled, grabbing the attention of many of the demons.

Seeing the lone boy standing there, with only a wounded raiven-haired boy laying at his side, ten of the demons decided to leap at the boy, intent on taking out the lone target that had managed to kill their leader.

The sudden shft in the demon's auras told Naruto that they were planning on leaping before them before they even left the ground. Naruto closed his eyes, sensing that his chakra hadn't recovered anywhere near enough. So, he decided to seek out the power that the inner-persona of his Shinigami powers had mentioned. Holding his right hand out to his side, Naruto called upon the power, mentally grasping it as he pulle it forth. "See through those who stand before me and cut down my enemies as they are revealed,_ ENSIS EXEQUENS_!" He yelled, reciting the words as they appeared in hs head. The effect was instantanious as Naruto was surrounded by a swirling nimbus of blue reiatsu, light shooting from his hand in a straight line, stopping at five feet as it took the definite shape of a claymore. The bottom of it was thick, almost seven inches across. The blade slowly thinned until it tapered off at the point, leaving the blade rather dangerous-looking. Inset near the base of the blade, just above the hilt, was a spiral design, exactly like the one on his back, and the handle was roughly a foot long, ending in a silver cap. Giving the blade a few experimental swings, Naruto whistled, feeling that the blade felt much lghter than it should have been given it's size, like an extension of himself.

The demons never stood a chance.

Naruto grinned at the bloodthirsty demons that had leapt at him, decending with their claws and weapons outstretched as they screamed for his head. "Let me intruduce you to a little technique of mine..." He said as his arm began to hum wth the power he started pushing into it.

The demons got close, and Naruto's arm blurred, the claymore disappearing. The demons never knew what hit them as they were suddenly cut into hundreds of peices, raining gore down on the silver-eyed boy as he calmly walked forward, glaring at the other hundred demons that stood between him and his friends, frozen in shock and fear at how quickly he'd dispatched their bretheren, and at the killer intent rolling off of him in waves. The demons, seeing the new and terrible threat that had checed on the unconious raven-haired youth and was now stalking towards them, decided that he needed to be taken out before anything else, so a number of them broke off from the group to go get the great demon that had come with them, while the others let out a battlecry and charged the blond.

Naruto kept coming as the horde grew closer. "You came, planning on destroying my home... You came, planning on harming the innocent... You came, planning on hurting my precious people... FOR THAT, YOU WILL ALL DIE! _WILD LIGHTNING_!!" Naruto screamed, disapprearing.

Kakashi, who'd just dispatched a demon with his chidori, heard the yell behind him, and turned, his eyes wdening in shock as he saw a silver-eyed Naruto standing there, so much power pouring off of him that it was visible as he faced down a huge group of demons, weilding a giant sword. Then he disappeared. "It... It's not possible!" Kakashi whispered in disbelief, falling to his knees as all of a sudden a group of the stopped demons vanished in a bright spray of blood, the others looking around in confusion for their attacker. More demons burst into sprays of blood and chopped meat, then a light pole fell into two-dozen peices, cut apart by an unseen hand. Kakashi's Sharingan caught a few, quick flashes as the demons turned to run in terror, many dying in their futile attempt to escape. Snapping from his confuson, Kakashi spun up and around an axe that smashed into the ground where he'd been kneeling, burying a kunai in the forehead of his demonic attacker as he spared one last look back at the quickly dying monsters, then rushed off in search of another enemy.

Naruto was moving so fast that he couldn't actually see anything, as everthing was just a blur, but he could still sense the general location of where the demons were, so he attacked without mercy. It was all over in less than a minute, Naruto stopping right in front of Hinata, beside a demon that clutched at what was left of it's right arm, the only thing remaining of that arm laying in an indistinguihable pool of blood and gore at it's feet. "Yuh-you monster! What the fuck are you?!" It asked, trembling in fear.

Naruto didn't even bother to turn his head, staring down at the fainted girl at his feet. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, ninja of the village you guys are attacking."He replied, taking the demon's head off with a swipe of his sword. Hearing a shrill scream, Naruto looked up, spying a kunoichi that he didn't know that looked to have been beaten bloody, being forced to lean over the side of a squat building as a large demon stood behind her and held her by the back of her neck with one hand while he tore at her clothes with the other, the look in his eyes and the lust in his aura speaking volumes about what he was intending to do.

Naruto, growling in anger, clutched at his sword tightly in his right hand. Taking a wide stance, he twisted his body for more momentum as he started pushing energey throughout his entire being, his right arm, in which the most power was being focused, buldging slightly. With a mighty grunt of effort, Naruto uncoiled, throwing his right arm forward, slingshoting the large blade, which flew like a missle, slamming into the demon with enough force that it threw the fell beast backwards and killed it instantly just from the shock, pinning it against the wall of the building right beside it and it's intended prey.

Seeing that the girl was in no more immediate danger, Naruto turned hs attention back on Hinata, kneeling as he reched down and picked the girl up into a sitting position. "Hinata-chan, wake up, it's no time for sleeping." He said softly, stroking Hinata's cheek as gently as he could.

Hinata's eyes fluttered open as she heard the voice of the boy she loved. Looking up in awe, Hinata lost herself in Naruto's slitted, silver eyes. "Na-Naruto-kun? A-am I dr-dreaming?" She asked.

Naruto grinned and shook his head, only to let out an audble 'oomph' as Hinata tackled him backwards, clutching at him as she sobbed into his chest. "You fell back, a-and you wuh-wern't moving! I was so scared that I'd lost you forever!" She wailed, her voice muffled by Naruto's jumpsuit, which was growing damp wtih her tears.

Naruto smiled softly and held Hinata whle she cried, making soothing noises in her ear as he stroked her hair. "It's ok Hinata-chan, I was gone for a while, but I'm back now. I'm here, and I'll make sure your safe, always." He promised.

"Bu-ut... How?" Hinata stammered out, looking at Naruto through puffy, red eyes, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

Naruto grinned widely. "You think something as silly as death is gonna keep me down? I went to the other side, where I saw the god of death, and I was all like- 'Send me back, I've still got precious people to protect!' Buth then he was all like- 'Nuh-uh, nothin' doin' kid!' So, I kicked him in the nads, beat the bastard up, and made him send me back!" He exlaimed, causing Hinata to giggle, despite the fact that she'd been crying. Smiling, Naruto lifted Hinata to her feet, dusting himself off. "Now c'mon Hinata-chan, let's go kick some demon ass!" He exlaimed, pumping his fist into the air, even as he saw the gigantic demon step from behind the Hokage monument out of the corner of his eye.

"Right!" Hinata chirped, wiping her eyes as Naruto turned around. Gathering her courage, Hinata grabbed Naruto's hand. "Ummm... Naruto-kun?" She asked shyly.

Naruto turned around. "Yeah, Hin-" He was quickly silenced as Hinata brought his head down, kissing the boy soundly on the mouth.

"Now come on, Naru-kun, we've got a village to defend!" Hinata exlaimed, breaking the kiss and blushing a deep scarlet as she sighed happily, speeding off with renewed vigor.

Naruto could nly stand there, his mouth hanging open in shock and blushing a deep scarlet himself, staring at Hinata's retreating figure.

-End part 1-

A/N- Now, before any of you decide to flame me for letting Naruto have access to his Shinigami powers while in his human body, know this! This is a fanfiction, and as such, I can write what I like! Besides, it makes sense (and a better story), because Naruto knows that that power is a part of him, so he has access to it. It's really no different from the concept of Ki (or Chi, or Qi), which is supposed to be the power of the humman spirit. If you wanna know more about my thoughts, click on my profile and read my rant. If you'e got any questions about this chapter, feel free to ask in a review.

Trivia- Ensis Exequens, the name of Naruto's sword, is Latin for 'Sword of the Executioner'. I thought, given it's appearance, a Latin name would be more appropriate than a Japanese one. (plus, it sounds REALLY freaking cool!)


	8. Chapter 7, The Fight for Konoha, part 2

A/N- Whoa, such a positive response to the last chapter! There was one single person who was disastsfied with the name in which I gave Naruto's shikai, which is Ensis Exequens (which, translated from Latin means 'Sword of the Executioner' (which, by the way, kudos to apillow, who was able to correctly identify where I first got it from. It was a high-level spell used by the Dark Evangel, Evangeline A.K. McDowell, from Negima. And all the more impressve since the technique was used only once!))

However, back to the matter at hand. another reader, HolyKnight5, felt that using a Latin name is going over bounds, since all Zanpakto either have Japanese or Spanish names (of which, I was promptly defended by Ryuuki Kisaki for my right to write my story however I like, which I thank her for that). Knight-san and I had a fairly lengthy discussion abut the name, and I made an agreement with him. I will let you, the readers, choose which name you like better. On the one hand, there is the name that I gave it, which is in Latin, a root language of Spanish, and then there is the Japanese translation which he graciously supplied upn my request, so I shall leave it to you, the other readers, to decide which name appeals to you more;

Ensis Exequens- Latin translation for 'Sword of the Executioner'

Chigatana Keiriku- Japanese translation for 'The Punishment of the Bloody Sword', or 'The Bloody Sword's Penalty' (Which can also be interpreted as 'Sword of the Executoner')

Your vote counts!

Anyway, two quick explanations aout Naruto's dojutsu and shikai so far-

It actually took me quite a while to come up with the design for Ensis Exequens. It took me a while to come up with something that would, while sticking to the spirit of the concept behind the zanpakto, at the same time be an original concept. I'd actually gotten the design from a mixture of different media, and I got the idea for the abilities from the name. If you'll notice, while their deaths had been quick, the demons had just enough time to dread their impending deaths, such as in an execution. (P and besides, who doesn't think an unpredictable speed-demon Naruto is cool?)

Naruto's dojutsu is another thing that I wanted to be unique, and coming up with it took almost twice as long as Ensis Exequens did! As with the sword, I took the initial idea for Naruto's dojutsu from other media and blended them together. What I was describing in the last chapter that Naruto was seeing was the aura, or life force if you will, of all living things around him. This includes the chakra from the ninja and the evil ki from the demons. You saw part of what it allowed Naruto to see in the last chapter, when he saw the lust in the one demon's aura, and in this chapter, you'll see even more in this chapter! If you think it's a it too much, tell me, and I may listen what ya say, or I could tell ya to go flush it, dependng on how ya tell me. Eiterway, I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

**WARNING!** This chapter will contain material which is **NOT** suited for readers below the age of consent to which the Teen catagory that this story is created under as set forth by FFDN. You have been warned!

**Chapter 7, The Fight for Konoha, part 2- Savior**

Yumi Misawa, chunin of Konoha, had always been a determined girl. She was 17 years old, stood at a reasonable five and a half feet, with long, fire-red hair and pering sea-green eyes, not to mention a decently toned figure that she kept from going overboard into muscular. She came from a well to do clan and wanted to become a respectable ninja like her grandfather, who had died heroicly fighting in the thrd great war. After she became respected and had saved a nice nest egg from her missions, she wanted to find a nice man, but one who was incredibly strong, and settle down with him, taking her family name. They would have three children, all who would carry her family name and become powerful ninja as well. Then, after a long and fufilling life, she would die happily, knowing that her family name was secure. Yes, Yuri was a determined girl who had always worked towards those goals, but now thigs were looking incredibly bleak as she found her beloved home being overrun by demons that had been set upon them by the Akatsuki, a shadow group that she'd known nothing about before today, when they'd come to Konoha and stolen the life of a boy, Naruto Uzumaki, using a weird statue, and then used the same giant statue to bring the terrors that she and her fellow nin were now fighting against. She couldn't understand how the Uzumaki boy's life had been so important, but her parents had always told her to stay away from him, that he was bad, so she'd obeyed, een though they would never tell her why, no matter how many times she'd asked after seeing the profoundly lonely look in the boy's eyes just one time. Now, however, was not the time to be wondering suh things as she ducked under the claws of a demon and rammed a kunai up through it's jaw, peircing it's brain.

It had already been over four hours since the battle had begun. Yumi, who had been a part of a six-man chunin squad, found herself alone as she and her teammeates had been seperated over half an hour earlier by a large group of demons. Yuri was in trouble and she knew it, being close to ground zero where the demons had come from and far from any possible support. Even the group that the Hokage had been a part of was too far for her to get to, being seperated from them by over a hundred demons. Grimly, the young woman decided to take as many enemies with her as she could, even if it cost her her life, if it meant that Konoha stood a chance. Using every skill that she had at her disposal, Yumi snuck through the shadows beside a squat resteurant that sat by one of Konoha's more predominant hotels. Seeing a group of three demons standing close by, all three holding rusted katanas as they talked in a language that she couldn't understand. Reaching into her pouch, Yuri silently brought out another kunai...

The demons, lesser goblins all of them, stood talking among themselves as they were on look-out. Suddenly, one of them dropped dead, a kunai sticking from the back of hs neck. The other two whirled around, catching a flash of navy-blue. Screeching in anger, the two goblins rattled their swords and charged into the alley after the impudent mortal, only to stop and blink in confusion when all they saw were a few trashcans, never noticing the twin glints that settled around their necks...

Yumi grinned, almost feeling bad for how easy this was. Gripping the leather that covered her hands, Yumi leapt down behind the goblins, jerking downwards with all of her might. The wire, which ran up and over a metal pipe that she'd been standing on, briefly went taut before going slack again, the demons heads rolling from their shoulders as their lifeless bodies fell forward. Wrapping the wire back up with a quick snap, Yumi stuffed it away and darted back towards the corner of the building, peering out in search for more enemies.

**_"My my my, what is it we have here? Hullo sweet cakes, how 'bout you and me get together and I make ya scream?"_** A dark voice chuckled from just behind her, causing Yumi's eyes to go wide as she leapt forward, spinning around as she flung some shuriken, only to hae them batted away almost carelessly by a shadowed figure in the alley.

Yumi's eyes narrowed a she reached into her pouch for her wire. "And how did you manage to get behind me wthout me sensing you?" She asked, leting a loose length of the wire fall between her hands, giving her leeway to make handsigns if needed.

The demon let out a harsh bark of laughter as it stepped from the shadows. It was a large creature, probably seven feet tall and thickly muscled, wearing only black pants and carrying a large, dented mace. It was green, covered in scales, and it's eyes burned with an unholy fervor. "_**You ninja arn't the only ones with the ability to set traps and hide, and you fell right into my trap when you killed those whelps. Now, whadda ya say girlie? We gonna have fun or what?"**_ He grinned, spreading his arms out wide, going as far as to lean his mace against the side of the building!

"You better not underestimate me!" Yumi screamed, rushing the demon, throwing the wire in a wide loop.

**_"Same goes for you girlie."_** The demon said, suddenly appearing beside the young chunin, swinging a vicious haymaker that connected... and splintered a log into hundreds of peices.

"Such... Such speed! I don't know if I cam keep up..." Yumi thought from atop the single-story resteurant, fear creeping into her heart. No sooner had the thoughts passed through her head when all of a sudden Yumi found herself blying forward, crying out in pain from the kick the demon had just delivered to her back. Ducking into a roll, Yumi came up into a crouch as she jerked hard on her wire, which she'd managed to wrap around his foot when she'd been kicked. It was much to her surprize though, when she jerked as hard as she could, only for nothing to happen.

The demon laughed his terrible laugh, seeing the surprize on Yumi's face. **_"It really is too bad you got me as an opponent sweet cheeks, my skin's too thick to be cut by wire!"_** He exlaimed, rushing forward and delivering a brutal knee-shot, only to have the girl block it with her arms, staggering the girl with the force of the blow. Not letting up, the demon let loose a devestating left, catching Yumi across the face and splattering her nose, spraying blood everywhere een as the demon lashed out with another hit, staggering the girl.

Shaking her head, Yumi suddenly found her arm in a vce-like grip. Looking up wth fearful eyes, she saw the demon grin as he twisted, snapping the poor girl's arm before clouting her across the jaw, cutting off the scream that was welling up in her throat. Grabbing Yumi by the back of her head, the demon clubbed her n the stomach efore bending her over the side of the building they were on top of. "Whu-what are yuh-you gonna do...?" Yumi asked groggily, her words slurring even as sh screamed in het mind, trying to force her body to move.

The demon laughed. _**"You and me? We're gonna have some fun sugar!"**_ He exlaimed, and it clicked in Yumi's mind, sending a chill of terror down her spine and freezing her heart, he was about to do the most horrible thing that could happen to any woman! She tried to struggle, earning another clout as the demon reached down, grabbing the waistand of her shorts and giving a sharp yank, pulling them down the terrified girl's legs. _**"You've got some nice buns sweet cheeks!"**_ The demon howled with laughter, looking down at the girl's bare rear, violating her with his gruesome touch as he tried to probe the recess between Yumi's legs with his free hand, though she squeezed her legs together as tightly as she could, trying to keep him away. **_"Now... make me feel good."_** He whispered in her ear, grabbing his pants and beginning to loosen them.

Yumi, having regained some of her breath, let out a terrified scream, closing her eyes as she tried to prepare for the worst, only to hear an odd whistling sound, and suddenly, she felt the demon's grip on her body disappear. Cracking her eyes open, Yumi turned her head, shaking with the fear that this was another way for the demon to make her even more afraid, only for them to widen in shock as she saw the demon, impaled on the building wall next to her y a massive blade, drove through it almost up to the hilt. Her head snapping back around, Yumi saw Naruto standing a distance away, his stance saying that he'd been the one to save her. Falling to her knees, crying tears of joy, not even questioning how the boy who she herself had seen die only hours before had rescued her. Sniffling, Yumi straightened up, pulling her shorts back up as she looked down at the boy again, seeing a surprized look on his face as Hinata Hyuuga ran from him, blushing. Seeing the mutilated bodies of the demons behind the boy, Yumi gasped in surprize, noting that all of the demons had been hacked apart by a giant blade.

Yumi looked backat Naruto, something akin to hero-worship in her eyes.

--

Hearing a grunt and a large thud, Naruto snapped from the daze that Hinata's kiss had put him into and looked up to where he'd thrown his sword, only to see that it'd been pulled out, the girl that he'd saved on her knees as she panted. Wondering what was going on and where his sword was, Naruto rushed over towards the building, running up it's wall, reaching the roof quickly. "Hey! Are you alright?" He asked the bloodied girl, seeing her trying to pick up hs sword, which was laying on the roof, cracks spidering out around it.

"Oh, Naruto-sama!" Yumi exlaimed, jumping to her feet and dusting herself off. "Thank you for saving me!" She bowed deeply.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, wondering why the girl had called him by such a formal title. "Eh, it's really not a problem, us leaf ninja have gotta watch out for each other!" He replied, grinning at her. "SO, are you alright? What's your name?" He asked, bending over and picking his claymore up, resting it casually across his right shoulder.

Yumi had to resist the urge to squeal, he wanted to know her name! "AH... I-I'm alright s-sir, thanks tuh-to you." She stuttered, blushing. "An... And my name is... Yumi Misawa..." She bowed her head again.

Naruto grinned. "Well, I'm glad your alright Yumi! That demon looked like he was about to do a number on ya, so I had to act quickly!" He replied. "And hey, ya don't have to call me 'sama' this or 'sir' that, ust plain ol' Naruto will do, ok?" He asked.

Yumi bowed again. "Thank you, Naruto-kun..." She replied demurely, looking up, her green eyes meetng his slitted silver ones, causng the girl to gasp in surprze. "Yuh-you have a do-dojutsu?!" She was shocked. No one had ever mentioned there being THREE dojutsus of Konoha!

"Really?! Is that why eveything looks so weird?!" Naruto asked in shock, a wide grin spreading across his face a few seconds later. "YATTA! I've got a dojutsu! Eat all of that you smug bastards!" He yelled.

Yumi giggled. "You mean you didn't even know? And how are you still alive? I thought I saw that weird statue pull out all of your chakra, so how?" She asked.

Naruto laughed sheepishly. "Well heh, I guess I just got lucky and was only knocked out!" He exlaimed, already knowing it was a lame exuse, and from the look on Yumi's face that she didn't elieve it either.

Yumi smiled, even though it hurt because of the beating she'd taken. "Sure Naruto-kun, whatever you say." She laughed lightly at the look on his face.

Naruto squinted his eyes as he grinned, rubbing the back of his head again. "Eh, I can tell your not buying it, so after we get everything straightened out, I'll tell ya something much more believable!" He exlaimed, setting one foot on the edge of the roof. "Anyway, I've got to save everyone, and you look like you need a medic, so later!" He called out, leaping off of the roof.

Running, Yumi leaned over just as Naruto landed. "Naruto-kun, how about you tell me over lunch?!" She called out.

Not really paying attention to what the girl had said, Naruto his hand as he ran off.

Yumi grinned as she slid down the wall. She'd been terrified, almost brutally raped and killed, but she'd been saved by Naruto! Sure, he seemed dense, but that was easily overlooked by hs strength, his apparent bloodline, those beautiful silver eyes... those hot looks... Right there, Yumi decided; Naruto Uzumaki was the only man for her, and she'd have him no matter what!

--

Naruto ran, looking for more enemies to fight when he saw three familiar figures, fighting off a large group of demons, with many more laying dead at their feet. "Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji! Hold on guys, I'm coming!" He yelled, dashing towards the trio. Leaping over them, Naruto landed between the three and a pair of demons that had been rushing them, twisting as he brought his sword around in a wide arc, slicing both demons in half at the waist as he finished off facing the three that he saved. Looking up, Naruto's eyes widened comically as he pointed. "Hey! You guys are older, and Ino, you've turned into a guy!!" He exlaimed, pointing at his friend's fathers who all looked the worse for wear, covered in gashes and bruises.

Shikaku grumbled. "Yeah yeah kid, enough with the slapstick already, we've got more important things to worry about!" He replied, throwing some kunai over Naruto's shoulder, burying them in the heads of two other demons. He was grateful for the brat showing up because he, Chouza, and Inoichi were all running on their last legs and dealing with near cases of chakra exhaustion, but...

"How in the hell are you still alive boy? I could have sworn when those guys took the Kyuubi from you, you died!" Chouza blurted out, holding his side, which had a deep gash running along it, asking the very question that was on his teammates minds.

Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Uhhh... I really don't know if I should talk about that until I've talked to Granny Tsunade." He replied.

Shikaku nodded, understanding. "Alright, but what are we gonna do about those troublesome huys behind you? Your just a genin, we're all exhausted, and there's still ten of those bastards right behind you! What a drag..." He sighed, about to grab some more kunai, only for Naruto to hold a hand up, stopping the man.

Naruto grinned. "Don't worry aout it old man! I'll take care of those demons easily, just watch!" He exlaimed, whirling around as he gripped his sword in both hands.

"Like fun you will! DIE BOY!" One of the demons screamed as they all rushed the foolish blond, angry that they'd been ignored. One led the attack, jumping at Naruto with one arm extended, aiming at the boy's heart, intening to tear right through him.

Naruto blinked, watching the energy coming from the demons, seeing the energy of the one demon that leapt at him surge into it's arm, practically screaming it's intentions to Naruto as the energy extended towards him. Calmly stepping forward and to the side, Naruto let the demon's attack pass harmlessly by as he brought his claymore around, slicing the beast in half. Looking around, he read the movements of the other demons as they encircled him, dodging all of their attaks with apparent ease. Naruto countered whenever an opening presented itself, killing a demon with each stroke. In short order, the battle was over, Naruto standing in the center of a circle of his dead enemies, covered in small splatters of their blood, but none of his own. "How was that?" He asked, grinning at the three shocked men before him as he gave a victory sign.

Shikaku chuckled a little. "Alright brat, that was damned impressive, ut you;ve still got a ways to go, we've each got over twenty kills under our belts." He replied.

Naruto laughed. "Then you guys are the ones with a ways to go, because I've already killed over one hundred and thirty! But you guys look like you need to go see a medic, and I've gotta go save our town. Later old dudes!" He called out, running off.

"HEY! I'M NOT OLD DAMMIT!" Inoichi yelled at the retreating figure as both of his companions guffawed. Grumling, Inoichi grabbed Chouza's arm to help support the large man, and all three of them went off in search of a medic, a new hope flaring up at seeing the energetic blond who proved that the demons were no match for him.

--

Kiba stood over a severely wounded Akamaru, popping another soldier pill as he stayed protectively over his best friend, eyeing the demons that stood in front of him warily. He and a majority of the ninja that were still alive were cornered and surrounded by what seemed like almost all of the demons that were left alive, but they wouldn't go down without a fight!

Glancing back, Kiba saw that Shino and the other Aburame were being sorely pressed and gritted his teeth, wanting to go go help him.

Seeing the oy's temporary lapse, one of the demons screeched and was about to leap forward, but found itself collapsing bonelessly insetead, wondering why there was a large hole in the middle of it's chest.

Darting through the opening that the dead demon made, Hinata spun, quickly, striking two more of the demons, killing them, before taking a Jyuuken stace. "Are you ok Kia?!" She asked, lashing out at another demon that got too close.

Kibe thew a few shuriken, forcing the demons to back off and give them some reathing room. "Yeah, but where the hell have you been Hinata?! I thought you were dead for sre after we got seperated!" He replied.

Hinata smiled. "I was in a bad spot, but then Naru-kun saved me, and now he's going to save us all!" She exlaimed happily.

Having been listening in, Sakura shook her head sadly as she fought alongside Tsunade. "Poor Hinata, she's lost it... She thinks Naruto has come back to life..." She aid, her voice heavy with the pain of loss.

Tsunade punched a demon, casing it to explode with the force of her attack. "Sakura, keep your head in the battle! We can mourn Naruto later!" She exlaimed angrily. She was as exhausted as everyone else, running on lttle more than the need to drive out the invaders.

All of a suden, the bloodied remains of demons fell all around them from the rooftops. "Hey Baa-chan, why would ya mourn me? I'm not dead!" A familiar voice called out, shocking eeryone there. Looking up, they were all greeted by the smiling face of Naruto as he squinted down at them. Well, enough Narutos that there wasn't a single gap in between them on the roofs, completely surrounding the demons that had surrounded Tsunade and the others, and they were all weilding giant claymores. All of them opened their eyes at once, revealing their brilliant silver.

"H-how?!" Tsunade stuttered while Sakura and many others gaped like fish.

Grinning, all of the Naruto clones let out a battlecry and decended upon the demons, their blades flashing.

On the Hokage monument, Naruto stood, grimly staring down the titanic demon in front of him...

**-End Part 2-**

A/N- Now, before anyone jumps on me about the whole Yumi suddenly falling for Naruto thing, just hol off. She just went through an extremely terrifying experience after hours of fighting, and Naruto showed up just in time to come to her rescue, so there are some feelings there that would come naturally after being saved.


	9. Chapter 8, The Fight for Konoha, finale

A/N- Well now, another good outpouring! These are the latest stats as of last chapter; words- 29161 chaps.- 8 reviews- 40 hits- 5113 c2s- 6 favorites- 25 alerts- 34.

Destiny has officially become the longest story that I've written by roughly 13,000 words, the second most reviewed, the second most hit , the most c2ed, the most favorited, and the second most alerted. Thank you, all of my readers!

As for future updates, I will slow down a bit probably. 'Feelings', a Ranma 1/2 fic is my first fairly long story- my first child if you will, and I've been neglecting it for quite a while. I'm going to be going back through, reworking the older chapters, and creating new ones for it. Fear not though! I won't be giving up on 'Destiny', it's my current favorite work to work on, but I've a fondness for my older story, and there are many people who want to see me pick it back up again. So, instead of working on one story, I'll be working on two. And, when I say it may slow down, I only mean by a day or two, so don't worry!

**Chapter 8, The Fight for Konoha, finale- Take it to the Limit!**

Naruto ran along the roofs of Konoha, looking for his friends. He'd already come across several more skirmishes, almost single-handedly turning the tide of each battle he'd happened upon, and had freed several jonin and chunin, not to mention an entire ANBU squad, from their own fights in order to help others that needed the support.

So now he had almost fifteen ninja of both higher ranks leaping in formation right behind him, with the ANBU squad acting as point guard, not that Naruto needed them to run point, he'd realized soon enough, his eyes served the purpose all on their own, letting him see the auras of demon and ninja alike before the group had even gotten close to them. With a grin Naruto came to a realization- his eyes were AWSOME!

Looking around, Naruto caught sight of Kakashi off in the distance, standing in a training field, surrounded on all sides by demons as he stood protectivly over the unconcious forms of thee young-looking ninja, his left arm hanging uselessly at his side, blood dripping down it from a large gash in his shoulder. He was about to go to his sensei's aid when one of the ANBU, a tall man wearing standard ANBU gear and a mask in the shape of a bear, dropped down beside him. "Naruto-san! The Hokage, along with many of our forces, is in trouble! They are wounded and weary, and surrounded on all sides by most of the remaining demonic force. What are your orders?" The masked figure asked, his deep baritone carrying the slightest hint of worry.

Naruto gritted his teeth, looking back at Kakashi, then up at his ultimate goal, the gigantic demon that roared angrily beside the Hokage monument, tearing through the buildings there. Finally making his decision, Naruto turned to the ANBU and all the gathered jonin and chunin. "ANBU-san, everyone, I want you all to go help Kakashi-sensei. There arn't that many demons there, so you should be able to overwhelm them. But if they do prove to be too strong, just get Kakashi-sensei and the others out and to a more defensable position. I'll send another force to find and back you up." He said, crossing his arms.

"But what of the Hokage and the others?! We can't just leave them to die!" One of the jonin, a portly man wearing a large straw hat, said angrily.

Naruto grinned at the man, resting his large claymore across his shoulders. "You think I'm just gonna let Granny and the others have all the fun? Don't worry, I'll save 'em!' He exlaimed, giving the grumbling man a thumbs up.

The ANBU cocked his head to the side, looking at the young blond. "Can you do that all on your own? You've proven to be strong Naruto-san, but are you really strong enough to take on a force that large?" He asked, crossing his arms. "And what of that large demon? We can't leave it unchecked much longer, but it alone has already wrecked more havoc on our forces than most of the other demons combined. We've got the problem of having to stop it, but being too exhausted and underpowered to fight it, so what do we do?"

Naruto gazed up at the titanic creature, his eyes narrowing to slits. "You leave that thing to me as well. Your right, you are all too tired to take it on. I'm the one who defeated Shukaku during the Sand/Sound invasion, so I've got some experience dealing with opponents like that." He looked oer at his large companion. "Don't worry, I'll defeat that thing. No matter what." He promised solemnly.

The ANBU nodded, his squad-mates droppng down around the pair. "Alright kid, I'll trust you. Go on, we'll handle things here, just don't fail me!" He exlaimed, leaping away along with the other ANBU, signalling to the other ninja to follow behind, which they promptly did, the orders of an ANBU were not to be questioned.

As the force landed on the ground and took off in Kakashi's direction, the jonin who had spoken out earlier sped up until he was running alongside the ANBU who had spoken to Naruto. "Why in the hell did you let the demon brat tell us what to do?!" He demanded. "He's not fit to be a leader, or even alive for that matter! We all saw him die! Why go help four people on the orders of a dead man when we need to be helping all the others against that huge group?!" He continued, his voice growing steadily louder and his face redder.

The lead ANBU shot a look at the man. "I do not know how he lives either, but that boy has been a godsend. He could have easily left any of us to die in any of the battles we were in, and with the way people like you have treated him I wouldn't have blamed him if he had. I used to be one of those ordered to keep watch over the boy when he was younger, and the way he's been treated by ignorant people like you is truely disgusting. God knows why he is the way he is, but Naruto-san is a selfless person despite the life he's lived, and he'll do anything to keep our land and our people safe. If it means that our people will survive, I'll gladly die on that young man's order if he so gives it, even though he'd never do such a thing. He strives his hardest to make sure that everyone, including ignorant bastards like you, so I know that whatever he plans is our best bet. Now shut the fuck up before you ruin our element of surprize, ok? Don't make me kill you myself." He growled.

The now pale jonin hung back a bit, his mind awhirl with what he'd just been told. Had he been wrong about the brat?

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Hopping across several roofs, Naruto spied a number of demons crowding around a small section of Konoha, where the sounds of fierce fighting were eminating. Coming to a rest on a small building a few blocks away, Naruto watched the battle for a moment, seeing all of his friends, along with quite a few other ninja, including most of the fighting force of the Hyuuga, surrounded on all sides, with several demons on top of the roofs of the buildings, biding their time for the right moment to strike. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto stuck his sword under his arm and began to gather the chakra for his signature kage bushin when he noticed something odd. Looking down at his hands, Naruto saw a shilloute of his hands three quarters of an inch above where they actually were, while his chakra swirled around, most of it interacting with his current hand placement, but quite a bit of what he was focousing was swirling around his handsign, dispersing uselessly. Wondering what was going on, Naruto moved his hands into the position where the shilloute was, noting that almost all of the chakra egan to flow correctly, hardly any fizzling out. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" He exlaimed, feeling the familiar tug of chakra leaving his body.

The effects were surprizing to say the least. Where Naruto was only going to make two hundred shadow clones, that being the most he could make if he wanted to conserve enough chakra to fight that large monster, there was instead just a couple dozen short of four hundred! "Whoa, what the heck happene?! Shouldn't there be less of us?!" One of the Narutos asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno! It must be something to do with my super awsome dojutsu! Could I really have been wasting that much chakra all along?!" He looked around at the others, who looked just as clueless as he felt.

One of the shadow clones closest to him smacked his fist into his palm. "That's what the closet pervert said! Remember? He said that even though I've got more chakra I wasted a lot more than the others because of my horrible control!" He suddenly said, that particular conversation being brought up in all of the Narutos memories, looks of shock on their faces.

"So the dojutsu gives me super-cool perfect chakra control? AWSOME!" Another one of the clones exlaimed.

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, the dojutsu definitly increases my control, but it doesn't make it perfect. I saw how much chakra was being wasted until I repositioned the handseal to what I saw, and that really cut down on how much chakra was just being used without purpose, but there was still a bit of a leak." He replied, earning groans from many of the clones.

"HEY! No need for gettin' bummed, we've still got awsome new powers, a killer sword, a sweet new blood ability, and much better chakra control than we had before, not to mention we're not dead!" Yet another one of the clones piped up. "Come on guys, lets go get those bastards!" With an agreeable warcry, all of the clones raised their swords and took off in two wide, sweeping arcs, surrounding the demons as they took out any sentries that they came across.

Turning away from his clones, Naruto took his claymore by the handle and took off in a different direction, towards the Hokage Monument, leaping down to the ground and cutting down a goblin, not even slowing. Reaching a high wall, Naruto leapt up onto he side, his feet sticking to it as he ran parallel to the ground. He quickly reached the base of the mountain and started up, not even bothering to take the stairs as he ran straight up the side of the mountan. Reaching one of the lower plateaus, Naruto leapt high into the air, flipping a few times before he landed on the Third's head, going to one knee as he held his sword behind him. Standing up, Naruto pointed his sword at the giant demon, which had set it's sights on the Hokage Tower. "HEY YOU BIG, BUTT-UGLY BASTARD! QUIT DESTROYING MY HOME AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!" He screamed angrily, watching the creature smash through a row of buildings, one of which contained his own apartment!

Letting forth a guttural roar, the demon turned, it's covered head swivilling towards the foolish human who dared to challange it. "**_YOU WOULD PRESUME TO CALL ME OUT, LITTLE MORTAL?! I SHALL DESTROY YOU!"_** The demon roared, it's voice deep and menacing.

Naruto snorted. "YEAH RIGHT! I ALREADY BEAT DOWN SHUKAKU, AND I'LL DO THE SAME TO YOU, YOU OVER-SIZED IDIOT! YOUR DOG MEAT PAL!" He retorted loudly, swinging his sword into a ready position.

The demon let out a bellowing laughter, going so far as to hold it's sides as it did so. **_"YOU, BEAT SHUKAKU?! I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT MORTAL, FOR ONLY ONE WHO CONTAINS THE POWER OF A GREATER DEMON CAN DEFEAT A GREATER DEMON! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A FILTHY HUMAN, YOU OULD NEVER, EVER BEAT ONE OF US! YOU STAND NO CHANCE, FOR I AM A GREATER DEMON, ONE OF SHUKAKU'S ONLY RIVALS! I WILL CRUSH YOU AND RAZE THIS TOWN TO DUST FOR YOUR INSULT!!" _**It roared, swinging it's right arm hard enough to reate a huge gust of wind.

Naruto smirked. "SHOWS WHAT YOU KNOW YOU STUPID DEMON! I WAS THE CONTAINER OF THE KYUUBI!" He screamed back.

The demon seemed taken aback. **_"IMPOSSIBLE! NO MORTAL, NO MATTER HOW STRONG, CAN CONTAIN THE KYUUBI, LORD OF THE KITSUNE! YOU INSULT MY RACE ONCE AGAIN?! DIE AT THE HANDS OF ZHULFUERE!!"_** It raised both massive arms, intending on smashing the impudent bug.

Naruto snarled and leapt at the demon, bringing his sword up above his head as the demon swung downwards...

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Kakashi was breathing heavily, holding his wounded arm as he watched several nin who had rushed to his aid quickly dispatch the demons that he'd been fighting in order to protect the unconcious chunin who were now being tended to. Normally, enemies of that calibur, even with as many as they'd had, wouldn't hae been a problem, but Kakashi was suffering from both chakra and physical exhaustion, and barely able to stand on his feet as it was. "You guys got here just in time." He said to the group of ANBU who had led the attack that had saved his life and the lives of the three young nin he'd been guarding. "Not that I'm not grateful, but why are you all here? The last I saw we were still heavily outnumbered, and no one would be able to spare a force this large. What happened?" He questioned.

One of the ANBU, a large, burely man wearing a ear mask stepped forward, clearing his throat as he sheathed his sword. "Well, Kakashi-sempai, what yo said was true. We were heavily outnumbered, and each member of this group were eing overwhelmed in different parts of the town, but then he came and turned the tides quickly. Our ANBU cell was among the first who he helped out, and so we joined up, helping him wipe out every demon that we ame across and save every ninja that we could. It's been tough, Kakashi-sempai, but with him, we may just win this battle after all." He quickly informed.

Kakashi stared at the man, his uncovered eye drooping a bit, showing just how tired he was. He was an elite jonin however, and it would not look good if he fainted before the enemies were repulsed from Konoha. "Who? Who is this 'he' that you keep talking about?" He asked, pulling down his mask and popping a soldier pill, the third he'd taken since the battle had begun.

The ANBU shifted, as if surprized that his senior didn't know. "Why, it's Naruto Uzumaki-san of course." He replied as if stating the obvious.

Kakshi couldn't help but do a double take, his unovered eye widening in shock. "WHAT?! Are you sure it was Naruto? It's imposible, he had the Kyuubi taken from him, and the hosts die when their demons are removed!" He exlaimed, smacking his head as he looked at the ground. 'Naruto... So that really was you that I saw earlier?' He wondered to himself.

The ANBU cleared his throat again. "Well, lets see. He's a gaki of around 15, stands about this tall..." He held out his hand to show the height he was talking about. "... Is a loudmouth blond with three whisker marks on each cheek, is a member of your team, and jinkuuri with an obsesive love for ramen, right? Well, if that's him, then we're talking about the same Naruto-san." He replied. "I don't know how he survived having his demon removed, but he somehow did, and he seems even stronger than before, if that's possible. I've certainly never seen him weild a sword like that before, and those eyes..." He trailed off.

"What aout his eyes?" Kakashi asked, looking back up.

"WeLL, Kakashi-sempai, it seems to be that your student has a dojutsu of his own. His eyes, when changed, took on a silver color and slitted."

Kakashi looked surprized for the third time in just about as many minutes. Hearing a loud roar, the entire group looked up at the Hokage Monument, where they saw the titanic demon lurch forward, both arms raised as a tiny figure that could hardly be made out leapt at it...

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All of the Naruto clones, moving as stealthily as they could, surrounded the demonic host that had entraped their friends and co-workers, deciding that one quick, brutal attack would be the best oppertunity that they had of rescuing everyone without any casulties. A group of them watched as Hinata charged in, one of them dispelling himself so that all of the others would know.

Seeing that as their perfect chance, all of the clones leapt up onto the surrounding buildings more silently than cats, rushing the surprized demons that had been preparing to anbush the Konoha forces. The battle lasted mere seconds, none of the demons beng able to even as much as call out to their bretheren as the were slaughtered. Hearing Tsunade's remark, one of the clones cupped his hands as they all grinned cheekily. "Hey Baa-chan, why would ya mourn me? I'm not dead!" The clone who had cupped his hands called out gleefully, all of them reveling in the shocked looks that they were getting from every nin present. ellowing a attlecry, all of the lones cut loose, leaping down at the demons, who didn't stand a chance, being outnumbered almost two-to-one y an enemy who had proved that he could take out a hundred of them alone.

The fght was over in seconds, with the mutilated bodies of demons lying everywhere, hacked to peices. Shocked beyond words, most of the nin could only stare at the blood-covered, grinning blonds that stood around them. Unsurprizingly, it was Lee who first broke the silence. "Naruto-kun! HA! I knew that your flames of youth couldn't be exinguished by the likes of those Akatsuki! Are you well?" The energetic boy asked, patting one of the clones on the shoulder.

That Naruto laughed. "Well, aside from the fact that I'm running low on chakra, I couldn't be better Lee!" He replied, matching the taijutsu experts wide grin.

But Naruto! Hu-how are you alive?!" Sakura asked the question that was on almost everyone's mind. "We both know that when, well, when THAT happens, the container dies! That's what happened to Gaara! sure, Granny Chiyo revived him, but you didn't have anyone that could revive you!" She exlaimed.

Tsunade nodded, wiping away the single tear that had formed, it wasn't the time to show emotions, even if they were of happiness. "I would like to know as well Naruto. How did you manage to survive?" She questioned.

Several of the clones shot Tsunade serious looks. "... I'll tell you, but not now. There are some things which should probably be classified." One of the clones finally said solemnly.

Tsunade nodded in understanding. "Alright brat, but one this is over, I'm going to expect a full report, and leave nothing out! Our major priority right now is taking care of that giant demon. Any of you got any plans?" She asked, looking around.

All of the Narutos suddenly looked sheepish, causing Tsunade to glare at one of them. "Naruto? Why are you looking like that?" She asked, her tone low and menacing.

One of the clones chuckled nervously. "Well, y'see baa-chan..." He scratched the back of his head.

Tsunades glare worsened "Well what? Where are you anyway Naruto, dispell these lones!" She demanded. When they didn't disperse, still standing there with that look on their faces, scratching the back of their heads, it dawned on Tsunade, who groaned, cupping her face with her hands. "Let me guess, your on your way to take on that demon all alone, arn't you?" She moaned, massaging her temples.

One of the Naruto clones shrugged. "Eh, from the sounds of things, I've engaged it by now." He admitted.

"NARUTO-BAKA!!" Tsunade's enraged scream echoed, sending the clones fleeing in terror from the wrath of one of their most precious people.

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Yumi ran through the streets of Konoha, having been fixed up by a med-nin that she'd managed to find with a large group of people and now she at least looked fairly presentable, so she was hunting for Naruto, intending on helping her newly-found boy toy fight off the demonic attackers, and to prove to him that she was the only one for him.

Running along, she spotted several flashes of orange, and burst through a line of houses... To find several hundred Narutos standing there! Blinking in surprize, Yumi reached out to pinch one of them to make sure that he was the real deal and not just some illusion.

"OW! HEY! Oh, Yumi, it's you!' The Naruto who she'd pinched exlaimed, whirling around on the girl.

"So... Your real? What about all of the other you standing around? It's an illusion, right?" Yumi asked.

The clone shook his head, grinning. "Nope, we're all the real deal!" He exlaimed proudly, flashing a v for victory.

Yumi blinked... Then blinked again. They were real?! Suddenly, several thoughts popped up into Yumi's mind, causing her to blush brightly as a small trickle of blood ran from her nose. "OH my..." The young chunin breathed, feeling rather warm. Naruto was the man for her indeed!

The clone that she was talking to squinted his eyes when he saw Yumi blush and the blood trickle from her nose. Did most girls turn red around guys, or was it just him?" Oi! You ok Yumi-chan?" The whiskered blond asked.

Yumi mentally squealled, he'd added the -chan suffix to her name! "Oh, no Naruto-kun, everything is fine." She replied with a wide smile. Suddenly remembering why she was there, Yumi tried to banish the thoughts that had popped up from her mind. "Anyway Naruto-kun, I was wondering if I could help you out with fighting the demons." She stated.

The clone shook his head. "Nah, I'm up on the monument right now, fighting that big son of a bitch." He replied, before Tsunade's yell reached their ears. "But Baa-chan and the others might need your help! Sorry Yumi-chan, but we;ve gotta go!" The clone exlaimed as they all dispelled themselves, revealing a rather angry Tsunade and the others.

Rushing over, Yumi quickly bowed before her leader. "Yumi Misawa, reporting Lady Tsunade!" She said, kneeling. "Naruto-kun said that you all may need some additional help, so I'm here, an I know where another group, which includes several jonin and ANBU, are. If you would follow me Hokage-sama, then the medics there can quickly patch the wounds of your group." She reported.

Tsunade grunted, waving the girl off. "Sorry kid, but it isn't time to lick our wounds quite yet, we've still got enemes to kill and bakas to punish." She growled, looing up to where Naruto was furiously battling with the demon. Turning, Tsunade set off in the direction of the monument, and thusly the battle, followed by the entire group.

Standing, Yumi was surprized when Sakura stopped eside her. "So you know Naruto? I don't think he's ever mentioned you." The pinkette said as they took off after Tsunade.

Yumi eyed the strange girl beside her warily. "Well, I really just met Naruto today, when he saved me. Who are you, his girlfriend?" she asked guardedly.

Sakura laughed. "Who, me? Not at all! Naruto's more like a brother to me, and he's my teammate. I'm Sakura, and I'd be pleased to meet you if the situation were more plesant." She smiled.

Yumi nodded, blowing a mental sigh of relief, it was safe! "That's great." She said warmly, returning the smile. "I've gotta say, that teammate of yours sure is surprizing. Any chance you could help me snag him for a date after all of this mess is over?" She asked.

Caught by surprize, Sakura could only gape at the girl, she wanted a date with Naruto?!

Not far behind the two, Hinata's gaze narrowed dangerously. Some cheap hussy was trying to move in on her man! HER MAN! Well, she was't about to have any of that! It wasn't the proper time though, so Hinata vowed to take care of the tramp just as soon as everything had calmed down.

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Naruto shuddered as several of his clones were dispersed, curtosy of Tsunade's fist, and the rest because they dispelled themselves. He was going to catch hell from Baa-chan later on, that was for sure, ut he had to survive this first. Leaping away, he once again dodged the enraged giant as it attempted to hit him, his dojutsu telling him roughly how his opponent was going to attack. Landing on the great beast's arm, he dodged another swipe as it attempted to flatten him with it's other hand. charging up Zhulfuere's arm, Naruto used chakra to cling on as tenaciously as a tick as the demon tried to fling him off by swinging it's arm. Naruto was looking for a weak spot, a hink in the beast's armor-like hide that he could exploit, as all of his previous attempts at cutting through the extremly tough and thick hide had proven all but futile none of his cuts or stabs being able to peirce all the way through.

Forced to leap off again due to the beast's flailings, Naruto landed on the now partially ruined Hokage Monument, he surveyed the situation with a critial eye. Naruto definitly had the advantage of speed, as well as the ability to read his opponent's movements, but the demon was definitly superior in strength, size, toughness, and probably a slew of other areas that they could be compared, but Naruto was determined to take his foe down, no matter what!

So caught up in his musings, Naruto didn't notice all of the other Konoha ninja who were running in their direction. Zhulfuere did, however, and bellowed with a deep, dark laughter, a plan already forming in his mind. **_"LITTLE MORTAL! YOU HAVE PUT UP A VALIANT FIGHT, MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED FROM YOUR PUNY RACE! HOWEVER, THIS BATTLE IS MINE! HOW WILL YOU BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE PAIN OF WATCHING YOUR COMRADES DIE?!"_** It roared, reaching to smash off the Shodaime's head.

Naruto's head snapped around, seeing all of his friends running towards them, then back to the demon, his eyes widening in horror as he realized what the demon was about to do. "NO!" He screamed, leaping up to intercept the demon's arm, even though he knew it would probably be impossible, but he had to try dammit!

The demon mentally grinned, the idiot had done just as he wanted! Swinging his other arm, Zhulfuere clubed the blond, sneding the boy sailing clear across Konoha. **_"NOW, FEEL THE FULL FORCE OF MY WRATH, PUNY MORTAL! OMEGA BEAM!!"_** The demon bellowed, a huge split in the rough shape of a mouth opening along the beast's mask and pulling back, revealing an intensely glowing light that was building from deep within the belly of the beast.

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut as he attempted no to cry out, his body a huge, single agony from having been hit so solidly by such a creature. Cracking one of his eyes open, Naruto saw Konoha speeding past underneath him. Looking back, he saw the demon open wide, revealing the critically building energy. "Oh fuck!" He exlaimed, watching the build of energy that would almost certainly destroy most of Konoha if it was unleashed. Looking around, Naruto spied one of the outer guard towers, it's flag pole sticking right out of the top. Quickly preforming the handseal, Naruto made close to a hundred clones in a line, stretching all the way to the tower, each one grabing the others feet and the final one in the lind wrapping it's arms around the pole that stuck from the top of the tower. Gritting his teeth, Naruto grabbed onto the feet of the clone closest to him, the momentum that the were travelling swinging the entire group around the groaning pole, several of the Narutos crying out in pain as they felt their joints give.

Coming around full swing, Naruto let go of the clones feet, flying straight back at the demon, who seemed somewhat surprized at the sudden turn.Roaring in defiance, Naruto made a pair of clones, and together they formed the Rasenshuriken just as they were about to impact the great demon before them.

Just as Naruto' attack was about to hit, Zhulfuere's own attack unleashed, a huge beam of pure energy erupting from it's throat.

Naruto's Rasenshuriken met the beam head-on, the two attacks fighting for dominance, Naruto pouring all the energy he could draw into the attack, including his newly discovered reiatsu. The two attacks continued to push against one another, Naruto finding himself being slowly overwhelmed. _'No... It's not enough, I'm too low on chakra and that other energy... NO! IT HAS TO BE ENOUGH!_' He thought desperately, searhing deep within himself, fighting for any power he could find. Suddnely, he found it, the tainted energy from his darkside, from the hollow within... "EVEN IF IT KILLS ME, I WON'T LET YOU HURT MY PRECIOUS PEOPLE!!" Naruto screamed, the sclera of his right eye beginning to turn black as the iris turned a golden color. Suddenly, Naruto's power surged as he felt a painful twinge deep within himself, and the two clashing energies exploded in a bright, violent concussion, knoking everyone, who had stoped a distance away, off of their feet.

Yumi and Hinata both struggled to their knees against the violent energies, shielding their eyes from the bright light. "NARUTO!" They both screamed.

When the light finally died away, they could see Naruto laying there on the ground, facedown, the demon laying not too far away, it's entire midsection missing as it's organs spilled agross the ground in the giant crater in which they lay. Naruto lifted his head weakly, staring at his titanic opponent. "Tuh-told'ja... I'd beat'cha..." He said hoarsly, coughing blood.

A rumbling, if weak chukle rumbled from the demon. **_"I GUESS YOU WERE RIGHT, MORTAL, IT SEEMS YOU MAY BE ONE OF US AFTER ALL, FOR ONLY A DEMON CAN BRING FORTH DEMONIC ENERGY... WELL DONE, MORTAL, YOU ARE A TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH OUR RACE PRIDES IN..."_** It said, it's aura flickering weakly in Naruto's view before dying away completely.

Letting out an exhausted sigh, Naruto's eyes began to slde closed, only distantly noting his name being called out desperatly as several people landed around him.

And so, Naruto slipped blissfully into the darkness...

**-End-**

A/N- How is it? Don't kill me yet, just wait for the next chapter please!!


	10. Chapter 9, Promises

A/N- Whoa, the last chapter got the most reviews! C'mon guys, let's see if we can't hit double-digit reviews with this one, ne?

Also, I've gone back and corrected some of the mistakes in earlier chapters.

**Chapter 9, Promises**

Little Naruto, six years old, was sitting on his favorite swing, rocking back and forth slowly on the thing as he gripped the ropes that held it up, all the while watching a group of children playing with a ball while their parents chatted on some benches not too far off. Little Naruto wanted to play ball with the other kids, but he was never allowed, so he just sat on hs swing, all alone, while he watched the others have fun.

One of the boys who was playing ball kicked it a bit too hard, causing it to roll towards Naruto, stopping when it nudged against his feet. Standing up, little Naruto reached down and picked the ball up, feeling it's rubbery texture under his hands. It was a bright red ball with a green stripe around the middle and a yellow star on either side. Smiling hesetantly Naruto held the ball up and took a few cautious steps forward, maybe they would let him play with them this time! "He-here, yuh... your ball..." The shy boy said quietly, reaching the ball to one of the closer children, a boy who was a fair bit larger than he was.

The boy was about to grab the ball from little Naruto when his mother stood up. "Yujiro, get over here right now!" She demanded while the other parents got up and went to get their kids. The boy identified as Yujiro shrugged, grabbing the ball as he ran over to his mother, who grabbed his hand and scolded him, telling him to stay away from troublemakers as the other parents looked at little Naruto with cold eyes and led their own chidren away, save for one mother, a young-looking woman of maybe twenty three or so and her child, a girl who looked to be even younger than little Naruto.

Saying something to her daughter in a quiet voice, the woman turned and walked over to little Naruto, crouching in front of the young boy as she smiled serenely at him. "Are you ok?" She asked, her voice as sweet as an angels.

Little Naruto sniffed, wiping away the tears that had begun forming in his eyes. "No..." He replied, his voice just above a whisper.

The woman's smile grew as she cupped Naruto's cheek gently. "Well, you should grow used to that. We will never accept you, and we will never let you close to our precious babies. You are unwanted and unloved, so you might as well give up trying to make friends, because no one will ever want to be close to you." She said, her voice still carrying that sweet tone as she flicked little Naruto in the forehead and stood up, walking away, grabbing her daughters hand as she did so, taking the girl with her.

Before they were out of earshot, the little girl looked up at her mother. "Mommy? Why was oo mean to dat boy? Why can't he pway wif us?" She asked, talking with a child's lisp.

The mother smiled down at her daughter. "Because sweetie, he's bad, and bad people don't deserve to be loved or have friends." She replied, then she and her daughter disappeared around the corner of a building.

Little Naruto sunk down slowly, rubbing the red spot on his forehead as he lay on his side on the ground, curling up into a fetal position, he began to cry.

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Naruto sat bolt upright, catching a cry in his throat. He'd had that dream again, one of the more common nightmares he'd had over the years since that incident so long ago on that playground. Looking around, confused, Naruto saw that he was in a hospital room, the brightly shining sun bathing his bed in light. Drawing his knees up to his chest, Naruto sadly gazed out of the large bay window, thinking back on that time, and all of the other times that marked his childhood. The pain that he felt in his heart hurt far more than any of the bandaged wounds that covered his body.

Hearing the door to his room open behind him, Naruto turned his head when he heard a soft gasp. Sakura stood there, clutching a bouque of flowers in one hand and a medical chart in the other, her mouth hanging open in surprise that Naruto was awake. "Neh, if you leave your mouth open, flies will go down your throat Sakura-chan." Naruto joked half-heartedly, wrenching a smile onto his face

Sakura closed her mouth and shook her head. What was that she'd seen in Naruto's eyes? They had looked so pained, so full of sadness that it tore at her heart to see it, and then is was simply gone, hidden by his smile. "Naruto, it's good to see that your awake.' She said warmly, setting the flowers in a vase, throwing the wilted ones into a trashcan. Sitting on the edge of Naruto's bed, Sakura flipped through the chart, scanning the updaated information. Setting the chart down, Sakura took one of Naruto's hands into her own. "You've been out for almost a week you silly baka! You really shouldn't push yourself so hard, you almost wound up dying from exhaustion!" She scolded, smacking his forehead with the back of her hand, smiling at him. "Well, at least your awake now, and your eyes are back to normal." She commented, her green eyes meeting Naruto's bright blue ones.

Naruto fell back on the hospital bed with a groan. "So my dojutsu deactivated? Man, that really sucks, I don't know how to activate it!" He exlaimed, pouting.

Sakura giggled, squeezing Naruto's hand reassuringly. "A dojutsu huh? Naruto-kun, you've never shown any signs of having a bloodline, so what makes you so sure that you've got one? I know that your eyes had changed, but how do you know it's not something from the Kyuubi?" She asked.

Naruto sighed. "Sakura-chan, the Akatsuki took the Kyuubi from me, all of it. There's nothing left at all of the giant fuzzball within me. The cage is empty, and there's simply nothing there, just a big, empty space now. I don't know what happened, but the only thing that I can guess at is the Kyuubi's presence was blocking something deep within me, something that I never knew was there before. I dunno for sure Sakura, but it seems like I've got more natural chakra than before, almost as if a portion of my own chakra was either being blocked off, or used as part of the seal that kept the Kyuubi in check. I can't really explain it, but I know for a fact that I've got a dojutsu, and now that the Kyuubi is gone, I've finally got access to it, do you understand?" He asked, his eyes pleading.

Sakura nodded slowly, seeing the look he was giving her. "Yeah, I understand Naruto. But what about your dojutsu though? The only two that I've ever heard of in Konoha are the Byakugan and the Sharingan. There haven't been any mentions of a third in any of the medical archives." She replied.

Naruto shook his head. "I dunno Sakura, I don't even know who my parents were. Maybe They migrated to Konoha from some foreign village like Mist, where bloodlines are hated, and simply wanted to keep their bloodline hidden so that there wouldn't be a big fuss about it. There are an unknown number of possibilities to why I've got a dojutsu, and I probably won't be able to find out why until discover who my parents are. In the meantime, I'm content to simply know that I have one." He replied. "So, I've been out for a whole week, huh? How's the village? And what about Sasuke? Is the teme alright?" He asked.

Sakura let go of Naruto's hand, looking down at the floor. "Konoha's alright. We only lost a few ninja because you fought so hard to save everyone, and the villagers have already come back and have started working on repairing the buildings that were wrecked. Sasuke though... We found Sasuke where you left him, and it was only because of what you did that he's still alive... But Sasuke's in a coma, and even Tsunade doesn't know if he'll wake up." She said, her voice laced with grief as her shoulders shook a little, tears forming in her eyes.

Naruto sat up again, pulling Sakura into a hug as he stroked her back, letting his childhood crush cry on his shoulder. "Fuh-first I l-lost Sasuke-kun... an-and then when he fin-finally came back, Th-those bastards got you, and ah-I thought I'd l-lost you forever... and nuh-now we've lost Sasuke-kun again!" She cried, clutching a Naruto desperatly. "Please Naruto, don't leave me again, I can't stand that pain!" She sobbed.

Naruto continued to rub small circles on Sakura's back, making soft cooing noises as he let Sakura cry for a few moments. "Shhh... It's ok Sakura, I'm here and I won't be leaving, I promise. And Sasuke will be ok too, you'll see..." He vowed quietly.

Sakura hiccuped a few times as she pulled back, looking at Naruto gratefully. "Thank you Naruto, I needed that." She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "How did you survive having the Kyuubi pulled from you anyway? I thought that jinkuuri died when they had their demons pulled from them, so how in the heck are you alive?" She asked.

Naruto scrathed the back of his head as he squinted, looking as much like a fox as ever. "Well... It's a long, complicated story, so when I go give my report to Tsunade baa-chan, why don't you come along and listen, that way I'll only have to explain it once." He suggested.

Sakura snapped her fingers. "Thats right! Tsunade-sama wants you to come to the Hokage's office just as soon as you can! Get dressed Naruto, and we'll head on over there." She said, standing up. "You've got a fresh set of clothes sitting in the cabnet beside your bed, so hurry!" She stood up, grabing the privacy curtain and pulling it closed.

Naruto grumbled as he got up, his legs tingly from having laid down for so long. Bending over, he opened the small cabnet, finding an orange short-sleeved shirt and a pair of shorts in there, as well as a pair of boxers. Pulling the shirt on, Naruto winced a little at how tight it was, hugging his frame snugly, molding to his body. Bending over, Naruto started to pull the boxers on, but began to loose his balance. Naruto tried to widen his stance to remain standing, but the underwear, which was still around his feet only made things worse. "OH CRAP!" The whiskered blond exlaimed, falling over, grabbing at the privacy curtain as he did do, only suceeding in pulling it down a he landed flat on his back.

"Naruto-kun? Wha-ACK!" Sakura, who'd been looking at the medical chart again got an eyeful of Naruto's wanger. "NARUTO!" She squealed, quickly turning around, hiding her horribly blushing face with her hands. "Put your pants on baka! I don't wanna see your thingie!" She exlaimed.

Blushing as well, Naruto quickly pulled his boxers, then his shorts on, getting up. "Sorry Sakura-chan." He said meekly. "I'm modest now, so everything is cool." He put his sandels on.

Sakura nodded, not turning around. "Well, c'mon Naruto-kun, let's go to Lady Tsunade." She quickly said, walking to the door. Turning her head, Sakura grinned at the still-blushing Naruto. "I can certainly see why those girls might like you!" She said cheekily, sticking her tounge out at him before disappearing.

Naruto stood there, shocked. "Wait Sakura, what girls?!" He asked, rushing after her. He knew that Hinata-chan liked him, but she'd never seen his thingie, had she? Thinking hard, Naurto thought about the girl, remembering her Byakugan, remembering that it could... "Crap!" The blond exlaimed. Surely Hinata-chan hadn't used her ability do peep on him, had she? Shaking his head, Naruto ran out after his pink-haired teammate.

Walking down a street, Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of the Hyuuga clan, suddenly sneezed.

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Yumi walked through town, watching with a bored eye as the citizens bustled about, repairing everything that had been damaged in the attack. After Naruto-kun had killed the large demon that had demolished a portion of Konoha, the ninja banded together and swept through the town, clearing it of the remaining demonic forces. Thinking of the man she'd set her eyes on, Yumi couldn't supress the sigh that escaped her lips. She'd spent the last couple of days, talking to people, trying to find out what she could about the whiskered blond. What little she'd managed to find made her fairly unhappy, finding out that most of the town's citizenry had held contempt for him for years, though that they wouldn't explain why. However, once they'd heard how hard Naruto fought, risking his life for many people who were precious to them, they were forced too take a long, hard look at themselves.

Yumi had finally gotten some fairly decent information that Naruto was friends with a few of the people who had graduated when he had, so Yumi ha looked up the class roster for that year, and had been looking for the people listed, but she'd yet to find any of them. Lost in thought, Yumi almost missed Hinata Hyuuga, who'd been in the same class as her Naruto-kun. "Hinata-san!" Yumi called out, running after the girl who had been marked down as being shy.

Hinata turned upon hearing her name called, spotting that tramp who'd been asking Sakura for advice. "Yes, how may I help you?" She asked in a falsly sweet voice, her tone laced with venom and her stutter gone.

Yumi stopped, wondering why the girl sounded hostile. "I was wondering if I could ask you about one of your former classmates is all. His name is Naruto Uzumaki." She said conversationally.

Hinata smiled thinly. "Why sure! Naruto-kun is the kind of person who is loud and boisterous, but there's no one I'd trust more. He'd give his life to protect the innocent if it came to that. There's no one I've ever met who is more honest and trustwothy than he, and it will take someone very special to stand by his side." She said.

Yumi smiled. "You're rght about that. Who knows, maybe I'll be that someone special." She said wistfully, giggling.

Hinata snorted.

Yumi's eyes narrowed, had Hinata just snorted at her?! "Wanna say something?" She asked darkly.

Hinata grinned rather ferally, which would have stunned anyone who actually knew the girl. "Why yes, yes I do. When I said Naruto needs someone special, I don't mean some skank who thinks to get him on only looks." She said archly.

Yumi covered her mouth with the back of her hand and tittered. "Oh, that's rich! I suppose that you think he'd prefer someone who dresses under so much clothing all the time? As opposed to this?! At least I'm proud enough of how I look to flaunt it!" She exlaimed, striking a provocative pose, thrusting her chest out and running her fingers through her hair. Where Hinata wore heavy clothes, Yumi had on turqoise-colored shorts and a sleeveless top , the material hugging her slender body. This caused Hinata to flush with embarassment and maybe a little envy with how open the other girl was, and it caused a man who was passing nearby to walk straight into a pole, knocking the stupified man backwards.

Hinata sniffed, looking away from the other girl. "Only a low-class tramp would wear something like that. At least I'm sure enough of my looks to not have to show them off to the world." She replied hautily. 'And I better not ever catch you anywhere near MY Naruto, do you understand? Now if you'll exuse me, I'm going to visit him in the hospital." She said, sauntering off.

Yumi was furious. "He's not your Naruto, he's mine bitch! And I'M the one gonna go visit him in the hospital!" She replied heatedly, rushing past Hinata at a brisk pace.

Not to be outdone, Hinata sped up as well, and soon enough, both girls were speeding down the street, shoulder-to-shoulder as they tried to outdo the other. "Hussy!" Hinata exlaimed, glaring daggers at Yumi.

"mute!" Yumi shot back, returning the stare in kind.

And so that's how it went, both girls rushing towards the hospital, each intent on being the first to get to Naruto. Coming into a stop right in front of the door to Naruto's room. Grabbing the zipper of her jacket, Hinata ripped the peice of overclothing off, exposing the tight mesh shirt and undershirt undreneath, showing a healthy amount of cleavege, and noting with pride that her breasts were larger than Yumi's. "NARU-KUN, WHO IS SEXIER?!" They asked loudly at the same time, opening the door and rushing through, both striking alluring poses...

To an empty room. "WHERE IS NARU-KUN?! They both cried out unhappily.

Reaching for the Hokage's door, Naruto suddenly sneezed. Rubbing his nose and wondering what brought that on, Naruto grabbed the knob and twisted it, opening the door.

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Stepping into the Hokage's office, Naruto held the door open for Sakura as he looked to Tsunade's desk, seeing her standing there with a small bit of surprize written on her face at seeing the whiskered boy, while Shizune stood beside her holding Tonton, who oinked happily, Naruto had a tendancy to give her candy after all! Kakashi stood just in front of Tsunade's desk, a small report file held in one hand, He'd turned slightly to gaze at Naruto as well, His one visible eye closed as he smiled at his student. "Naruto-kun, your awake!" Shizune exlaimed as Naruto waved at them sheepishly, closing the door behind Sakura.

Naruto scratched the back of his head as he grinned foxily, his eyes squinted. "It's good seein' you guys too!" He said happily.

Tsunade slammed her hands on her desk loudly, her head hung low. "All of you, except Naruto, go outside until I've called you back. Naruto and I need to have a heart-to-heart." She said quietly.

"Is Naruto-kun in trouble?" Sakura asked, seeing the look of fear that flickered across Naruto's face.

"NOW!" Tsunade growled.

Seeing that absence was the better part of valor, the three people and one pig quickly exited, Kakashi briefly squeezing Naruto's shoulder as he passed by, closing the door behind him. "Ummm... Baa-chan?" Naruto asked nervously, watching as Tsunade slowly got up, her head still hung low as she began to walk towards him.

"You little fool... Don't ever scare me like that again!" Tsunade snapped, her head coming up as her own feirce gaze locked with Naruto's own, the tears that had formed in her eyes rolling down her cheeks. "Oh Naruto, don't do something so foolish again! I've already lost Dan, Nawaki, and Jiraiya! I can't lose you too!" She exlaimed, wrapping Naruto in a bone-crushing hug, his face mushing against her busom.

Naruto chuckled, returning Tsunade's hug. ""I'm sorry, but I really didn't have any choice. At least tings worked out in the end, ne?" He asked.

Tsunade pulled away from the embrace, regaining her composure as she wiped her eyes. "That may be, but you could have died Naruto!" She exlaimed. "HEY! Get back in here!" She called as Sakura, Kakashi, and Shizune filed back in, Tonton following right behind

Naruto looked sheepish. "Well... I kinda did die, if you wanna know the truth." He replied.

Kakashi was the one to break the shocked silence. "So you did die when the Kyuubi was pulled from you? What happened anyway? And how are you still alive?" He fired off the questions one after another as everyone took seats.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Well, first, there are some things that I discovered that should probably never leave this room, but if you do have to tell anything, it should be treated as an S-class secret." He said, looking at Tsunade, who nodded. Sighing, Naruto got up and walked over to a water-cooler, getting a cup of water, he was going to need it. "It all started when I was fighting that bastard Pain. I tried accessing Fuzzball's chakra, only to have that freak in the orange mask, Madara Uchiha his name was-"

Tsunade shot up from her seat, her eyes wide. "Madara Uchiha? That's impossible! He was alive when my grandfather was. He should be dead!" She exlaimed.

Naruto shook his head. "I dunno how he's alive, but he is. Kyuubi and he talked after he entered my mindscape, and he sealed the foxes chakra, denying me access. Things only went downhill from there, and after I fough Pain, I asked Kyuubi if there was any way we could win. He told me there was, but I'd have to remove the seal and we'd both die in the process, having to use every ounce of chakra in the attack, which was a fusion of the fox-baka's own fire nature chakra and my wind chakra inside of the Rasenshuriken. The attack would have been enough to actually kill them all and destroy that damned statue, but those bastards revealed that Kyuubi being sealed inside of someone had been a part of their plan the whole time, so that Kyuubi would be able to gain the ability to use chakra, which it turns out he wasn't able to do. Did you know that demons don't have the natural ability to use chakra? That their power is different from ours?" He asked, taking a sip of his water as the others shook their heads.

Naruto nodded. "Well, they apparently don't, so that's why Kyuubi and a few other of the Bijuu needed to be sealed, so that they could learn how to for whatever that weapon was. Anyway, when I came too after the Kyuubi was pulled from me, I didn't know who I was or where I was, which was on some weird plain that was only dimly lit and covered in shadows, mist, and some really weird rocks, and everything was grey.. Anyway, the only thing I knew was that I was so lonely that it was literally painful, so I began to walk, looking for anyone. I eventually came to a large gate. Stepping into it, I found myself facing an entirely different world that was both frightening and amazing. They had buildings that were almost twice the size of the Hokage monument, and there were people everywhere! It was a little disturbing, everything was transparent, but that could have been because I was still standing in the gateway. tried to get the attention of many people, but no one would answer or even look at me. I tried and tried, but no one aknowlaged me, until an old man, even older than the Third, along with three others. A white-haired kid who looked younger than me, a really tall scarred man wearing an eye-patch, and a guy who looked like some jackass noble They were all wearing the same uniform, and they all carried swords, except for the old man, who had a staff. Anyway, they aknowlaged me, and I was happy! Not long after though, another group showed up, along with some weird monsters called 'Hollows'. The two groups seemed at odds with each other, and were preparing to fight, their energies washing over me, causing a deep pain in my chest. I was forcefully pulled into my own mind, where I saw an old man that looked like Sarutobi-jiji and a freaky person who looked like me, except for the fact that he was paper white, as were his clothes, fighting with huge swords..." Naruto stopped, allowing them to take in what he'd said so far as he took another sip of water.

"...Anyway, the old man and the white me were fighting in a place that looked like Konoha for control of my body, mine! The white me, which revealed himself to be my own inner-hollow, born of my own hatred that was in my heart and the powers of the hollows that were close by. Not knowing what was going on, I ran when the old man told me too, finally finding my way into the sewer that was actually my chakra system and found my way to the Kyuubi's cage, where there was nother large set of doors. Opening them, I regained all of my memories and confronted my inner-hollow, accepting that part of me. I then took in the old man, which was just another part of me, and gained both of their powers. Coming back into the world that I'd found my way to, I defeated one of the larger hollows and ran back through the gate, trying to make my way back here along the path that was presented to me. I don't know for how long I ran, some times it felt like only minutes while others weeks at a time, and I covered countless miles. I eventually ran into the being that we know as the shinigami, only for him to revela to me that he's not a real shingami, only one path of the dead that had gained a conciousness in order to lead spirits to the path that lead to the real shinigami. Then he told me that the people I had run into were the actual shinigami, and that I'd aquired death god powers of my own, can you believe it?! Me, with the powers of a god of death! Which comes in the form of my super-cool new sword that I have. Anyway, he told me many things, such as the fact that there were originally five plains, of which one was the plain of Hell, that the Bijuu and those demons came from was one. He then told me some stuff that I'm afraid that I can't even tell you guys, and revealed that he'd only sealed half of the Kyuubi's power in me, and that the other half is sealed some where else. He then let me come back to my body, where I eventually saved everyone. The crazy old thing kept calling me by the Fourth's last name for some crazy reason. Anyway, I came back, discovered that I've got awsome new powers and a sweet dojutsu. And that's where we now stand. We've gotta find that other half of the Kyuubi." He stated, draining the last of his water as he waited for Tsunade and the others to pick their jaws up off of the floor, chuckling a little, seeing the looks on their faces.

Tsunade was the first to regain her wits. "So there are more than just our world?" She asked. "What's Akatsuki's plan?" She wondered out loud.

Naruto nodded. "Yep, and from what I saw and from what Sakura told me what happened on the way over, I think that Akatsuki may be planning on somehow releasing all the demons from Hell, but I can't figure out why." He said quietly, Kakashi nodding in agreement.

Tsunade nodded. "I see... We'll get to preparing on finding Akatsuki and the other half of the Kyuubi soon. But first, we're still recovering from the attack, and you need to find out what you are capable of now, Naruto, so go and take it easy for now. And for Kami's sake, turn down your suaveness, lady killer!" She exlaimed, laughing at the look on his face as she pushed him and Sakura out the door, locking it behind them. Going back to her desk, she sat down and laced her fingers in front of her face. "That... was very disturbing." She admitted.

Kakashi nodded. "What are we going to do?" He asked.

Tsunade sighed. "Well, after Naruto passed out, that large demon told me some things right before it died, such as it recognized a power similar to a demons inside of Naruto, and that if he isn't careful, that power will eat away at him, and Naruto will turn into a demon that could possibly be stronger than the Kyuubi was...

**-End-**

A/N- Well? How was that? If things continue the way they are, I may have to change this to an M rating! But would any of you mind is the real question I think.


	11. Chapter 10, Where the Heart is

A/N- Yay! With this chapter, I officially break the 40,000 word barriar! P Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, you make me feel loved!

Now, a look at how I produce a chapter! I usually wake up at around 11:00 am or so, go pee off the previous night's half-gallon of tea I drank, then I take over the duty of taking are of my grandma, which involves me laying around, listening to whatever Weird Al CD happens to have been close at hand while I watch T.V. and disjointed thoughts run around aimlessly in my head, occasionally bumping into each other. After a couple of hours of this, I tend to get up and put in something hard, like Rammstein, Pantera, or some other metal band and I make lunch for grandma. After lunch, I may scratch my butt as I wander aimlessly around the house, still listening to metal as more disjointed thought run through my head, images of what cool battles may eventually take place in my story, or just random stuff that will never see the light of day outside of my mind. After a while of this, I actually plop down in front of the cumpter and turn it on, opening Notepad. I then may just stay there, staring at the sreen, or I may actually write an overview of the upcoming chapter (I've done this for about half of them, can you tell which ones? P). After that, I get bak up and go make dinner, then do the dishes. Then I change my bandage (I had to have a surgery not too long ago), then I go plop down in front of my computer again, putting on some random music depending on what type of scene I'm writing,and I let myself go, letting my creative side take over, only directing it occasionally. The actual writing process lasts from around 9 pm or so to usually anywhere from 2-6 am (While I'm also reading manga, btw), where I finally put it onto FFDN and pretty it up a bit, and post it, then I go to sleep, knowing that the next day I'll be doing pretty much the same thing.

And such is a day in the life of Van. XD though, once I'm finished healing, I'm gonna start training again, so watch for me to appear in the UFC!! (I'll be the big ugly dude XD).

On another note, after reading this chapter, you should all go to

**Chapter 10, Where the Heart is.**

Having been kicked out of Tsunade's office, Naruto and Sakura walked through Konoha in comfortable silence, enjoying each others company, neither wanting to break the quiet ease that existed between them, even though they both had things that they wanted to say to the other.

As they walked, Naruto noticed that people kept staring at him. That in itself wasn't unusual, he'd been glared at his entire life, and even now he was still getting a few cold looks from people who were too set in their ways, never willing to see him as anything but the Kyuubi incarnate. No, those stares he'd grown used too years ago, and they didn't bother him at all. The prolem was, most of the people were not looking at him like that, and it was frankly disturbing the boy. Most of the people were giving him looks of respet that were only held for ninja, the people who risked their lives to protect them, and they were counting him among that number, another ninja who would keep them safe. If that wasn't odd enough, there were even a number of people who were looking at Naruto with praise in their eyes, as if they were proud to have him as a member of their village.

"Hey, Sakura-chan? Whay is every one acting so weird?" Naruto asked nervously, noticing a small group of people that had gathered, talking among each other in whispers, occasionally looking his way.

Sakura looked at Naruto in surprize, before it dawned on her, he didn't even know yet! "Didn't I tell you Naruto-kun? Ever since the citizens and the ninja who went with them returned, practically everyone who had stayed for the battle and saw you fight told them what happened. Most of them didn't believe it at first, but all of the ninja who were here confirmed it in a huge town meeting. You're practically a hero now Naruto-kun! You've apparently even got your own fan club forming!" Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the look of shock on Naruto's face.

Naruto crossed his arms, squinting at Sakura. "So that's what you and Baa-chan were going on about? Psh, yeah right Sakura-chan, except for Hinata, there ain't a woman in Konoha that wants me!" He exlaimed, his bottom lip sticking out in an exaggerated pout.

Sakura giggled again. "Is that so Naruto-kun? Then what's that?" She asked, pointing.

Naruto looked in the diretion Sakura pointed. There, in a store window, he could see the refletion of a small gaggle of girls who were giggling, hiding around the side of a building, occasionally peeping out around the corner to look at him and shoot heated glares at Sakura. "ACK! Sakura-chan, let's run!" The whiskered blond said in a panicy voice, grabbing Sakura's hand and taking off, pulling her along with him.

"NARU-KUN, WAIT FOR US!" The girls screamed, taking off after the frightened boy and laughing Sakura.

* * *

Several hours and one long chase later, Naruto was panting as he and Sakura sunk down into the soft grass of their old training ground, trying to catch their breath. "Man, who knew that fan girls could be so persistant? Or scary?" Naruto asked, flopping onto his back. "Actually, I should've known already, I have known you since the academy days, when all you did was chase Sasuke-teme." He grinned, earning a half-hearted slap from Sakura.

"Baka! I wasn't ever that bad!" Sakura pouted, laying down beside Naruto, only for the blond to chuckle in response, earning him another half-hearted slap on the arm. Sighing, the two teammates lay there for over an hour, watching the clouds roll by. After a while, Sakura rolled onto her side, facing her friend. "Naruto?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked, rolling over as well, their heads only inches apart as they stared into each others eyes. Slowly, deliberatly, Sakura inched closer, her eyes closing and her lips brushing softly against Naruto's as she ran her fingers through his hair and he draped one arm loosely over her waist. The kiss only lasted for a moment or two, and it never deepend beyond their lips pressing, but it didn't need to.

Finally, Sakura pulled back, her eyes opening as she stared half-liddedly into Naruto's blue ones. "Well, it looks like I was right Naruto, I love you, but it's more of a sibling kind of love than a romantic one. I didn't feel any spark, the one that they say exists between two people who want to be together." She said quietly, biting her lower lip.

Naruto stared, stunned a little by what had just happened. Thinking hard for a few seconds, he finally nodded. "Yeah, your right. I didn't feel anything either. Definitly not like the kiss Hinata-chan gave me." He replied.

Sakura giggled, entwining her left hand with Naruto's right. "Hinata kissed you?! When?!" She asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Right after I came back and killed all those demons. Hinata was laying there, fainted, and I helped her up after killing a demon that was about to do something horrible to another girl I met named Yumi. Anyway, Hinata got up, kissed me, and ran off! Can you believe it?! Just like that! I always thought Hinata-chan was a shy girl." He said, his eyes slanting into their trademark squint.

Sakura looked at Naruto. "So that's how you met Yumi? You saved her from being raped? Thank Kami you showed up when you did Naruto, or who knows how things would have turned out, for all of us..." She said quietly, remembering some of the lewd promises that demons sneered at her as they attempted to subdue her. "Anyway, just so you know, Yumi wants to date you Naruto. You might wanna be careful, both she and Hinata seemed determined to get you, and I don't think either will stop at anything to get what they want." She warned.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I see what ya mean. It'll almost be like you and Ino all over again!" He teased, earning yet another smack on the arm.

"So, what are you going to do? It's obvious that they both want you." Sakura stated.

Naruto shrugged. "I really dunno Sakura. Despite the fact that we were in the same class for a long time, I hardly know anything about Hinata-chan, and even less about Yumi-chan! I devoted so much time to chasing you that I never really bothered to try and get dates with any other girls, not that they would have gone out with me anyway..." Naruto sighed, looking back up at the clouds. "I dunno... I guess I'll just have ta get ta know them both." He said.

Sakura nodded. "Just be gentle, ok? Or someone may wind up getting badly hurt." She warned.

Naruto sighed again, not knowing what to do, being so unfamiliar with such situations.

Sitting up, Sakura gave Naruto's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Just don't worry about it for now, ok? I'm sure that when the time comes, you'll make the right choice." She smiled. "Now c'mon! Your having dinner with me and my folks tonight. After all, if your gonna be my bro, you've gotta know my folks!" She exlaimed.

Naruto stood up, his eyes wide as he brushed himself off with his free hand. "You really want me to come over for supper?" He asked.

Sakura nodded, tugging his hand. "Yeah! I won't deny that my parents never held you in high regard, but with everything that happened, I'm sure their minds will change, especially when they meet you! Naruto-kun, I want you in my life, just as much as I want my parents, and I want you all to get along. That'll never happen as long as they just know about you from second-hand stories, so they've gotta see the real you! Everything will be fine, I promise." She vowed, smiling.

Naruto slowly nodded as he and Sakura started walking towards her house, hand-in-hand. "Hey Sakura-chan, you love me like a brother, right?" Naruto asked, a small smirk playing across his lips.

"Yeah." Sakura smiled as she looked up at the darkening sky.

Naruto's smirk grew. "so, does that mean that your some kinda creepy pervert that likes making out with her family? You did kiss me on the mouth after all!" He guffawed.

"NARUTO-BAKA!" Sakura's scream echoed across the training fields, followed by a loud thunk as she bopped him on the head.

* * *

During that time, Hinata and Yumi were wandering through Konoha, side-by-side, as they'd been for most of the day. Both girls were wary of the other, shooting off the same insults that they'd been using earlier. They both wanted to go off on their own to look for their Naru-kun, but neither would dare leave the other, lest she be the one to find Naruto, and thusly gain some feared upper-hand. "You know, I greatly dislike you." Hinata said flatly as they walked.

"Ditto." Yumi snapped back. Looking forward, both girls spotted another group of girls who seemed to be looking around desperately. "Hey! Somethin' wrong girls?" Yumi called out as she and Hinata walked over to them.

One of the girls, who looked to be maybe thirteen years old and was probably a rookie genin, nodded tearfully. "Yeah, we can't find Naru-kun anywhere!" She exlaimed, sniffling.

"Naru-kun?" Hinata and Yumi asked at the same time, their voices becoming cold.

The girl, who was apparently the leader off the group, nodded vigorously. "Yeah! We're the Naru-kun fan club, believe it!" She exlaimed as all of the girls struck a pose, two girls in the back unfurling a giant orange banner that had 'NARUTO, THE NEXT HOKAGE!' in big, bright letters, what looked to be an explosion in the background, as if throwing the title in the face of anyone who saw it.

"A fan club, huh?" Yumi growled, cracking her knuckles as a sudden miazma of anger swirling around her and Hinata.

"Hm, I do not believe that I gave anyone permission to create a Naru-kun fanclub. Did you, Yumi-san?" Hinata asked, her tone, while sounding sweet, carriedan undertone that promised pain.

Yumi shook her head slowly grinning evilly at the now-frightened girls before them. "Nope." She said. If, for only a brief moment, Yumi and Hinata acted together as they redirected all of the negative feelings for each other onto the girls who were daring to encroach on what they considered their territory. After 'instructing' the girls, both Hinata and Yumi set off, still searching for Naruto.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura made it to her house without any incident. Going through the front door first, Sakura removed her shoes. "I'm home, and I've brought Naruto!" She called out.

In short order, two people walked into the small entryway, stopping just in front of the two. Sakura's father, while not a tall man, was stoutly built, his arms almost as thick as Naruto's head, which he had crossed over his massive, barrel-like chest. He was deeply tanned, so Naruto guessed that he worked outdoors constantly. His eyes were the same green as Sakura's were, and they were currently hard-set as he stared Naruto in the eye. he had pale-blond hair that was cut short, an even lighter shade than Naruto's, as well as a bushy moustache that partially covered his upper lip.

Sakura's mother, on the other hand, was almost her husband's opposite in every way. Where her husband was fairly short, standing at only 5'7, Mrs. Hanuro was at least six feet tall, if not a bit taller, with a nice figure that not even her housedress and apron could fully conceal. She was a lot paler than her husband, but even she had a good it of color to her complexion. Her eyes were a dark, warm amber color, and her hair was dark red, cascading down her back n long, lushious curls.

"Thank you for having me in your home, Hanuro-san." Naruto said, bowing. He may have had to grow up on his own, but that didn't mean that Naruto wasn't able to pick up on some manners from watching others interact over the years.

Mr. Hanuro grunted and looked away while Mrs. Hanuro swooped down, pulling Sakura into a hug. "Welcome home sweety!" She said happily, kissing her daughter on the forehead. Turning to Naruto, one hand resting on Sakura's shoulder, Mrs. Hanuro bowed her head slightly. "Welcome to our home, Naruto-san. Please make yourself comfortable while we finish preparing dinner." She said, her tone still warm, turning and going back towards the kitchen.

Unsure of what to do with himself, Naruto stood there in the uncomfortable silence, Sakura mouthing sorry as the followed her mother. After a moment, Mr. Hanuro cleared his throat briskly. "Well, it wouldn't do for me to be rude to a guest. Please follow me Naruto-san, I've some things I wish to talk to you about." He said, walking off, Naruto following close behind after he removed his shoes.

Naruto looked around as they walked through the house, seeing plenty of family pictures hanging on the walls, making Naruto sigh wistfully, wishing to have had something similar. Soon enough, the two men came to a small den, two large easy chairs sitting in front of a fireplace that had many small trinkets adorning the mantle. Walking over to a bar set against the far wall Mr. Hanuro pulled a bottle of Sake. "Drink?" He offered.

Naruto shook his head. "No thank you Hanuro-san, I like to keep a clear head, 'cuz you never know when something might happen when your a ninja. You've got a very nice home, it feels cozy." He replied.

"Hn, I can respect that. Thank you for the compliment." Mr. Hanuro replied, knocking back a glass and pouring another, walking over to the easy chairs, he plopped down with a sigh. "Sit." He ordered, motioning to the other seat.

Naruto complied, sitting down, though looking as if he were ready to shoot back up and split if the situation called for it. "You said you wanted to talk to me aout things?" He questioned.

Mr. Hanuro nodded, taking a sip of his Sake. "Yeah, that's right. I won't mince words Naruto-san, I don't like you. I've never liked you, and I was always against you being on my daughter's team, but who am I to question the Hokage, eh? I never was inclined to you, considering what you are, and your reputation over the years definitly hasn't helped out." He grunted.

Naruto was silent, listening. Seeing that Sakura's father had finished, Naruto decided to say his peace. "Mr. Hanuro, we're both men here men who know that I was chosen as the jinkuuri for the Kyuubi when it attacked, on the day of my birth. I can't honestly say that I'm surprized that you hate me, I've been hated my entire life for something beyond my control. I do wanna correct you on one thing though, you referred to me as being the demon, but have I ever done anything to prove that? You judge me on because of the demon that I kept at bay, thinking of me as the demon itself, but in reality, I have been it's jailor for the past fifteen years, keeping it from doing the very thing that you and every other person who hated me because of my burden was afraid of, totall ahnialation by the Kyuubi. You judge me on the words of others, and my reputation as a prankster? Tell me, Hanuro-san, how else was I supposed to get attention as a kid, huh? No one loved me, no one wanted to be my friend, hell, no one even wanted to aknowlege my existence! Do you know how painful it is to be treated like that, well? Don't lay the cloak of blame around my shoulders, Hanuro-san, because of the past." He said, his voice charged with passion, yet never rising above a polite level.

Mr. Hanuro looked down into his Sake glass, swishing it around before taking another sip. "... What you say, may be true, Naruto-san, but I can't let go of the past so easily. Every time I look at'cha, I see the faces of my father and my older brother, who died fighting that monstrosity. That may be what drives so many so dislike ya kid, because when we see ya, the only thing we can see is the pain of everything we lost in that attack. I do owe ya thanks though, for bein' there for my daughter, even if I never liked it, and protecting her. Sakura's my baby girl, and losing her would kill me and her momma." He got up and went back to the bar, pouring hiself another cup of Sake. "I know what my little baby wants, but I'm afraid I can't ever accept ya as a friend Naruto-san. A friendly aquaintence maybe but not a friend. Sorry kid." He said.

Naruto nodded solemnly. "I understand, Hanuro-san. That is better than I coulda hoped for actually.' He replied.

Mr. Hanuro snorted "Please kid, don't get all sappy on me or nothin'. Your like the brother my baby girl never had, and if it means her happiness, I think I can stomach ya. Besides, my wife isn't as nearly as hard on ya as I've been. She's a bit more open-minded, and has tried to live up to the Fourth's request, even though she lost most of her family to the Kyuubi. Heh, if I decided ta be bull-headed, she'd probably crack me over the head with her rollin' pin or somethin', and that blasted thing hurts!" He chuckled.

Naruto was about to reply when Sakura poked her head in. "Dinner's ready!" She chirped happily before disappearing again.

"Hey, why is it that Sakura has pink hair, if you've got blond and your wife has red?" Naruto asked suddenly.

Mr. Hanuro shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me kid. Must have been that both our hair colors were dominant genes, and Sakura's color is what came of it. It's the only thing we could come up with." He admitted, draining his cup and setting it down as he and Naruto headed for the dining room.

Naruto nodded, no really getting it. "So, what do you do for a living, Hanuro-san?" He asked as they left the den.

Mr. Hanuro chuckled again. "I run an open-air iron forge actually. It's a hard job, but a good one, very fufilling. And please Nauto, call me Mitsuo." He replied, smackng his guest on the back as they went into the dining room, where Sakura and her mother were setting out many dishes.

* * *

A few hours later found Naruto and Sakura casualy walking through Konoha towrds the temporary shelter that had been set up for those who lost their homes, which Naruto had. The dinner had been great, with lots of lively conversation and stories being passed around. After dinner, Naruto thanked the Hanuro's for their hospitality and said his goodbyes, preparing to leave. Mr. Hanuro had nodded, and Mrs. Hanuro said Naruto could come back any time that he pleased. As he was walking out the door, Sakura had rushed after him, offering to walk with him for a bit. "Ne, thanks Sakura-chan, I had a great time tonight." He said, grinning at hs teammate.

Sakura giggled, pushng Naruto. "It's not a problem Naruto-kun. Dad mght be a bit rough, but mom likes you." She said, leaning against him.

Off on a side street, Hinata and Yumi, who had not yet given up on finding their Naru-kun, had spotted him and Sakura walking close together and had decided to follow, sneaking behind them _'That hussy!'_ They thought at the same time, seeing Sakura lean her shoulder against Naruto's.

"Hey, does it feel like someone is followin' us?" Naruto asked, squinting as he looked around.

Sakura giggled, having long ago sensed that Hinata and Yumi were following them. "Nope, nothing. Is this where your staying at Naruto-kun?" She asked as they came up to a large, hastily made barracks.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, at least until I can find another apartment. Anyway, thanks again Sakura-chan, I really enjoyed meetin' your folks." He said.

_'He's already meeting her parents and eating at her house?!'_ Yumi and Hinata both thought, looks of horror on their faces.

Sakura smiled. "Night, Naruto-kun." She said quietly, hugging the whiskered blond, giving him a peck on his cheek.

Naruto grinned as he returned the hug. "Goodnight Sakura-chan!" He exlaimed, letting go and going into the barracks for a decent night's rest.

Her smile fading as soon as Naruto enterd the building, Sakura turned to where she felt the two people. "Alright, you can stop hiding now." She said, an edge to her voice.

Stepping from the shadows, Hinata and Yumi looked at the pinkette before glaring back at one another. Oh, it was SO on!

**-End-**

A/N- Well, there's the new chapter! In the next one, Hinata, Sakura, and Yumi are facing off against each other in the street! What will happen? Who will come out on top? Tune in for the next exciting chapter of 'Destiny' to find out!


	12. Chapter 11, To Reach for the Stars

A/N- Here's the stats as of last chapter; words- 43697 chaps.- 11 reviews- 65 hits- 9437 c2s- 10 favorites- 32 alerts- 54.

**Chapter 11, To Reach for the Stars**

Madara Uchiha was old by human standards, being almost one hundred and fifty years old, even though he still held the appearence of a man in his thirties. In his many years, he'd killed countless people, shinobi and civilian alike, and those who knew him, either as the mysterious Mizukage of Mist, or as who he actually was, knew that to cross the volatile man meant certain death, even if the offense that made him angry was so much as accidentally dropping something in front of him while he was walking. He never outwardly showed his anger, no, showing emotion like that was beneath a man such as himelf. So that was why, as the Mizukage, he gained the title 'The Smiling Reaper', for he always had a small, serene smile on his face whenever he killed someone that crossed him.

Now, however, the Mizukage was facing a situation that made him VERY angry, and he was currently powerless to do anything about it! "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? This sets us back, and we've a very tight deadline to keep." He said softly, dangerously, folding his hands in front of his face as he glared at the people across the desk from him.

"What, haven't you ever heard the old saying? So goes the best-laid plans of mice and men." The man who Madara was glaring at said casually, reclining in a chair as he swished as glass of fine red wine. He was a tall man, even reclining, looking as if he may be at least six and a half feet standing. He wore a short-sleeved red shirt which clung to his muscular frame, along with some loose-fitting maroon pants and Chinese slippers. He was heavily muscled, but not-overly so, giving the impression that, while his muscles were as hard as steel, they wouldn't be so big as to hinder his movements in a fight. The man had a sharply chissled face, framed by wild, red hair and containing hard-set red eyes that almost seemed to glow in the dimly lit office. All-in-all, Madara's companion exuded a supreme confidence that bespoke his belief that everyone around him was inferior, there only for his pleasures and whims.

To the man's left, a woman who looked to be in her early twenties stretched out lazily on a couch, yawning widely. "You just want to see them struggle a little." She said, her voice having a seductive lilt to it. She, unlike the one she was addressing, was rather short, being only five foot seven, with long aburn hair pulled back into twin ponytails that trailed down her back. She was athletically built, looking more like an acrobat than an actual fighter, wearing a skin-tight black v-necked shirt that accented her small, shapely breasts and black spandex shorts. Her intense, green eyes, which held a slight slant in their shape, locked with Madara's own as she grinned saucily at him, licking her lips in a predatory fashion.

The last person in the room burst with laughter, seeming to find the whole thing funny. He was a portly man of almost six feet, with a large, soft-looking body covered in monk's robes. He sported a shortly cut strawberry colored mohawk and had a wide, easy grin with rosey cheeks and twinkling eyes, though if anyone looked for more than a few seconds into them, they would be able to clearly see the insanity and bloodlust that lurked beneath the trustworthy facade. "Silly man! This should have been easy for you, since you come from such a 'mighty' clan!' He exlaimed, looking into Madara's eyes, guffawing.

"Nibi, Shukaku, silence!" The red-haired man growled

The chubby man, identified as Shukaku, quieted down to silent giggles while Nibi sighed, picking up a book and flipping through it disinterestedly. "Yeah, whatever Kyuubi. You know it's the truth." She said, her eyes skimming across the pages.

"So, why didn't you tell me earlier? We could have been already taking measures to rectify this problem! Or is it that you don't care about being at only half your true strength? Have you forgotten that we need for all of you, but you especially, to be at full strength if we want to be able to successfully do this?" Madara asked, a steel thread of anger in his tone. "Even if you have gained the ability to create and use chakra of your own due to haing been sealed within newborns, that doesn't make up for all the power that you are lacking in!" He exlaimed.

Kyuubi closed his eyes and calmly sipped his wine even as a terrible, violent bloodlust erupted from him. "Madara, just because we are partners in this, do not think for a second that I will suffer any threats from you, even if they are so veiled. We have spent the better part of the last century planning this, tricking everyone into believing that we Bijuu could be quelled by you and your Shodaime Hokage, and this one small setback will only stall us for a few months at the most. We'll find my other half, and then we'll proceed as planned. Do not take me for a fool Madarda, you and I know that while you are important to our cause, it will only create a small setback to remove you, as to we would then have to convince the new sage to help us, where you have his help already. Through him, we will open the paths between worlds once again while our other partner will get the King's Key, and then we shall all proceed to capture the throne of God, where we will all gain ultimate power and authority. It is your choice Madara, wether to willingly work beside us and become a Kami like you've always dreamed, or be crushed as another obstacle in our way and forgotten." Kyuubi said quietly, draining his glass and setting it on the Mizukage's desk, getting up. "Come, let us go. I wish to experience the freedom to do as we please again before these faux bodies of ours run out." He said, snapping his fingers, Nibi and Shukaku following behind them as they exited, leaving Marada's door hanging wide open.

Sitting there, Madara seethed. _'No Kyuubi, it is you who must be careful. I will not be your slave. You shall be mine, or you will be dead.'_ He thought to himself, his Sharingan activating and spinning wildly.

* * *

Just outside of the Akatsuki's base, Pain's real body, the one that was at one time called Nagato sat on top of a hill, his knees drawn up to his chest as he watched the stars. He was a lanky man, with long, dark hair that hung limply, covering most of the man's face as he watched the distant twinkles with his Rinnegan. Not even turning when he heard someone approach from beind, Pain let out a soft sigh. "Hello Konan." He said quietly, his voice hoarse from disuse.

Konan sat down behind the man who she'd devoted her life to. "Pain-sama, are you well?" She asked.

Pain nodded, his gaze turning to the ground. "Yes, all is well." He replied. "I was just thinking of the path that we have chosen is all."

Konan remained silent for a few moments. "...You know that I will always follow you, no matter what. But..." She trailed off.

Pain turned his head slightly, gazing at his lifelong companion out of the corner of his eye. "But what?" He asked.

Konan reached forward, placing her hands on his shoulders as she pressed herself against his back, burying her face in his hair. "...But things are beginning to come to a head Pain-sa- No, Nagato-kun, and I cannot deny that I am worried about the future. So please, stay with me tonight, before you have to go back into the statue. Stay with me, and for tonight at least, show me how a man is supposed to love a woman..." She trailed off.

Nagato turned a bit more, to where he was fully facing her. "Is that what you want, Ko-chan?" He asked softly.

Konan nodded. "Yes... Please, I love you... I need you..." She replied huskily.

Under the pale light of the stars, Nagato and Konan moved closer together, their lips pressing as they clung to each other desperatly. For that night at least, they let themselves be human instead of shinobi.

* * *

Hinata, Sakura, and Yumi were all standing ready, each watching the other two warily. "Ok, what the heck is ths about? I might be ok with you guys, but that won't stop me from smearing you across the ground if you piss me off." Sakura warned.

Being the more outspoken, Yumi levelled an accusng finger at Sakura "You pink-haired hussy! We saw you trying to put the moves on MY Naru-kun!" She exlaimed angrily.

"Pink. Haired. What. Now?" Sakura asked, her tone darkening as she bit off each word.

Hinata gazed cooly at Yumi. "I do believe that I've already asserted that Naru-kun is mine, so you had best be the one to back off slut." She said, her tone implying righteous fury.

Sakura blinked. This was all about Naruto-kun? Were they attaking her because he had dinner at her house? Had Hinata talked without stuttering?! "Now wait a minute here, I think you've both come to the wrong conclusion." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"The only one here who is wrong is you, ya man-stealing tramp!" Yumi yelled, leaping at the pinkette in an attempt to throttle her.

Hinata, seeing her opening, activated her Byakugan and darted forward, intending on disabling them both at the same time with her Jyuuken.

Sakura, moaning inwardly, got into a defensive stance as the two closed in.

* * *

Off to the side, Hiashi and Neji watched the proceedings with interest, having just come from a meeting with the Hokage. "Do you think that we should intervene Hiashi-sama?" Neji asked.

The esteemed head of the clan shook his head. "Neji... Among the things that I have to teach you, what I am about to tell you is by far one of the most important things. There's nothing scarier than a woman who has cause to be angry, and it's best to juts stay away, lest they direct their anger on you. The quiet ones can be especially cruel and unrelenting when such is the circumstance,and with the way Hinata showed her skills during the invasion, that makes my daughter all the more frightening right now. No, my nephew, the best thing for us to do is quietly retreat." Hiashi replied, turning on his heel and walking off, if at a bit of a hurried pace, Neji close behind. "I wonder what they are fighting over anyway..." He mused out loud.

Neji looked at his uncle. "They're probably fighting to determine who gets to date Naruto-san. He answered the man's spoken thoughts.

Hiashi cast a glance at Neji. "Naruto? As in Naruto Uzumaki, the boy who defeated you in the exams and helped defending the village from the past two invasions?" He asked, seemingly surprized.

Neji bowed his head. "Yes, Hiashi-sama, the one and the same." He replied.

Hiashi's face became unreadable as he straightened a bit. "...Neji, I want you to bring me the Uzumaki boy tomorrow, I wish to have a meeting with him." He commanded, his tone brooking no argument.

Neji bowed again. "Yes, Hiashi-sama."

* * *

Ahhh, that feels better!" Naruto exlaimed, exiting the public showers that had been built as a part of the temporary barracks, holding a bucket that contained his bathing supplies and rubber ducky as he made his way back to his room, clad in only a towel that was wrapped around his waist.

"Mmm mmm mmm, look at that ass." A female voice said from just behind Naruto, followed by a wolf-whistle.

Whirling around, Naruto came face to face with Anko Mitarashi, who was standing in the open doorway to her own room, wearing a loose bathrobe. "HEY! It's the scary lady from the second exam!" He exlaimed, pointing, his eyes wide in comical shock. "So, are you living here too?" He asked.

Anko smirked, leaning up against the doorframe to her room as she raised her arms above her head, puffing out her chest a bit. "You know, Naru-kun, you can really hurt a girls feelings lke that." She said, pouting cutely. "But yes, I am living here until my apartment is rebuilt. Until then though, we're living here together, and I might decide to snatch me some of that foxy lovin'." She said seductivly, pushing away from the doorframe and sauntering over to the now-stunned Naruto, making sure to wiggle in all the right ways. "Well, Naru-kun? Whadda ya say? Want to ravage me like a beast yet? I know you must have learned some things in your travells. C'mon back into my apartment Naru-kun, and I'll show ya what they only teach older kunoichi." She murmered, running a finger over his slightly chissled chest and abs, grabbing his free arm with her other hand and pressing her ample cleavege, which her bathrobe barely concealed, against his arm, blowing softly on his neck.

Naruto's face turned an interesting shade of red "Ah-ah-I..." He stammered.

Anko looked down, seeing the front of Naruto's towel raising. "Heh, yer far too easy kid." She sniggered, flicking his forehead and snagging his towel with the hand she'd run down his chest. Giving it a sharp yank, Anko ripped the towel away, leaving Naruto as naked as the day he was born and standing at full mast. "Later gaki! Have plesant dreams about me, ok?" She winked, chuckling throatily as she looked down at him again before throwing the towel over her shoulder and sauntering off to the women's baths, making sure to put an extra sashay into her hips.

Blushing furiously, Naruto covered himself as best he could and rushed towards his room. He'd have interesting dreams that night indeed.

* * *

Sakura was breathing hard as she barely dodged yet another Jyuuken strike by Hinata, having already been on the receiving end of quite a few that she'd had to heal, unless she wanted to be at a severe disadvantage. "Dammit, enough already! There was nothing between us!" She snapped, her words falling on deaf ears.

All three girls looked the worse for wear, being covered in small scratches and bruises, and their clothes in tatters. Hinata had lost her overcoat at some point during the fight, and her mesh undershirt was barely hanging on at the shoulders, Yumi having grabbed Hinata by the back of the shirt earlier and swinging the heiress around, stretching the fabric and popping some of the seams. Yumi, for her part, was sporting a nasty black eye thanks to Sakura, and she was just now getting the feeling back into her right arm, which Hinata had brutally poked, limiting it's usefulness.

All three girls were tired, panting for breath as they battled their way through Konoha square, stopping just in front of a water fountain. Glaring daggers at each other, Hinata and Yumi charged, each atempting to his the other girl, but neither finding an opening. Growling in frsutration, Sakura charged forward, leaping at the girls as she tackled them into the water. The three thrashed about in the water for a bit, wrestling for dominence, ut it was ultimately Sakura who came out on top, knocking Hinata's and Yumi's heads together before dunking them a few times, holding both girls by the hair of their heads. "Now, are we gonna talk like civilized people, or am I gonna have to beat the crap outta the two of you for a few more minutes? Want another dunk to help cool those hot heads of yours?" Sakura asked, her tone low and dangerous.

Hinata blushed as she clutched the tattered remains of her mesh shirt to her body, trying to be as modest as possible with the ruined fabric. "S-sorry, Sakura-san..." She murmered, a bit of her stutter returning.

Yumi was livid, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can apologize all ya want mouse, but I ain't sayin' shit to some man-theiving cat!" She snarled, earning her another dunk by Sakura.

Pulling the sputtering girl up, Sakura let go of their hair and bopped them both over the head. "Look at the two of you! Acting like silly academy fangirls! I don't know what the hell you were thinking, but you need to at least get your information right before attacking people!" She yelled furiously.

Hinata pressed her forefingers together, looking down. "Ano, Sakura-san, but what about what we saw? You already told me that you'd turned Naru-kun down, but here both myself and the tramp right there saw you with Naruto. You had him over for dinner with your parents, and then when we saw you, you were all over him! You even gave him a kiss!" She exlaimed, her eyes brimming with passion.

Sakura sighed, smacking her forehead. "You think that just because we had dinner, and I gave Naruto-kun a peck on the cheek, that I'm trying to date him?! Naruto-kun is more than just a teammate to me, and I'll admit that I do love him, but it's not the type of love that you think. Naruto-kun is the closest thing I have to a brother, so of course I'd want to have hm over for dinner, and of course I'd show him some affection! I'm disappointed in the both of you, but you most of all Hinata! The both of you are acting like ditzes, jumping to conclusions and attacking people for being friendly to Naruto-kun! Your treating him like he's some object to be won, and you both have lost sight of who he is! Neither one of you are thinking of what Naruto might feel in this situation, and how he might be hurt! Naruto-kun isn't some idol, he's a human just like us, and just like us, he's feelings can be just as fragile! That's it, until the two of you start acting like responsible adults, I don't want to have anything to do with either of you, and you better steer clear of Naruto-kun for a bit as well. You want to date him? Then try to get to know him! Ask the boy out because, Kami love him, Naruto-kun is a bit too dense to ask either of you first! Naruto-kun has lived a long, hard life, all by himself, and he doesn't know what to do when it comes to stuff like this, so take it easy! And if I hear that either of you have started acting childish again, then Kami help you, because I wont. Now, I don't wanna hear another word tonight, ou two have put m in a bad mood." Sakura growled, finishing off her speech by spinning on her heel and walking off.

"Bu-" Yumi started as Hinata looked away in shame.

"Not another word!" Sakura roared, not even bothering to turn aorund.

Yumi and Hinata looked at one another. "This isn't over yet." Yumi said lowly, earning a silent nod from Hinata. Turning from each other, both girls started for home, mustering what dignity they could. They had some planning to do.

**-End-**

A/N- Yeah, I thought that'd be a good cutoff point. ANyway, in the next chapter, Naruto is summoned to a meeting with the powerful leader of the Hyuuga clan, Hyuuga Hiashi! What will happen? Tune in to find out!

Keep those Flames of Youth burning!


	13. Chapter 12, Reasons

A/N- Hell yeah! We busted the 10k hit count with the last chapter! Next stop, 20k! And there are almost 100 reviews, so please contribute and add a review of your own!

Anyway, I'm sorry this chapter is so late, I was having trouble deciding on which part of the current pre-action part of my story I wanted to go with first, so I settled for this one, partly because it's been one of the harder peices for me to write, so I decided to go ahead and do it now instead of putting it off, because it actually contains an important element to future developments. Anyway, that's whats been taking so long! Well, that, and the fact that I've been kinda game binging at my friend's house. We've spent days playing strats, dungeon crawlers, and even card games, as well as watching anime.

Speaking of games though, guess what?! Blizzard has finally given the go ahead for Diablo 3!! That's right, one of the greatest franchises ever is finally getting the next installment in it's series! Rejoice!!

**Chapter 12, Reasons**

It was a bright, sunny morning that dawned over Konoha, The Village Hidden in the Leaves. There were hardly any clouds in the sky and the birds were chirping happily, welcoming the new day. Though it wasn't even Eight yet, the streets of Konoha were bustling with activity, people preforming their tasks with a lethargy that only came with the early morning. A single hawk flew over the city, watching it's inhabitants with interest as it searched for prey, maybe a nice, plump rat...

One person of particular interest ran through the streets of Konoha, more noticable than others because of his bright yellow hair and orange jumpsuit. Naruto had woken up earlier than usual, due to an interesting dream where a certain woman was covered in ramen... Sporting a small blush, Naruto shook his head vigorously, trying to get rid of them, trying to focous on his task at hand. The day before, Tsunade Baa-chan had ordered him to test himself to find out just where his chakra and abilities stood now that he'd lost the Kyuubi and gained a dojutsu, a boost in his natural chakra that had been going towards keeping the Kyuubi's seal working, and the powers of a Shinigami. Naruto had been thinking about it for most of the morning, and finally came to the conclusion that there was only one team that could really help him...

A loud boom broke Naruto from his musings as he looked up, finding himself at his destination, training ground no. 5, where Gai's team could usually be found. There, in the field, stood a huge stone pillar, maybe ten feet tall and half as thick. Huge cracks were radiating outwards from where the ever eccentric Rock Lee was pounding away at the stone, hitting it with rapid fire punches. Off to the left, Gai was doing crunches while suspended in the air, his knees were slung over a thick iron bar that was high off the ground, supported by two crossbraces, doing upside-down crunches with his hands behind his head, tied together by a thick lenth of rope that ran down to a huge boulder that lifted and lowered with Gai's crunches, never quite touching the ground. Neji was a bit further off, his training, while still fairly extreme, still much lighter than his two bowl-cut companions, seeing as to he was simply going through his Jyuuken kata, iron-bound weights on each of his wrists to make him slower, forcing him to try and go faster to get back to his normal speed. Tenten was the only person that wasn't doing anything, sitting on a large boulder as she sipped some water from a canteen. Looking over, she spied the wide-eyed blonde, seeing the shock that was written on his face. "Don't worry Naruto, they'll be done in a minute! Come over here!" She called out with a friendly wave.

Closing his mouth, Naruto nodded, still a bit too surprized at the training methods to speak as he jogged over to Tenten, who had jumped off of her boulder. Shaking his head, Naruto finally found his voice."You guys call that training? That's crazy!" He exlaimed loudly, causing Tenten to break out into a fit of giggles at the comical way the former jinkuuri was acting.

Finishing with his strikes, Lee jogged over, grabbing the canteen that Tenten was reaching him. "Naruto! It is good to see that you are up and well my friend!" He exlaimed after taking a few deep gulps of water.

Gai, who had disentangled himself from his own workout jogged up as well, catching the conversation. "Yes, it is good to see that you are up and about Naruto! I knew that your flames of youth couldn't be put out be such negative people as those Akatsuki!" He exlaimed, seemingly completely unwinded despite his workout, giving Naruto one of his patented grins as well as a thumbs up."So, what brings you to our humble training field, student of my most youthful rival? Have you finally decided that our methods are better? Come, Naruto, and join us in the ways of the spandex!" He exlaimed, pulling out another suit exactly like the one he'd tried to give the blond years earlier while Neji came over and was talking quietly with Tenten in the background.

Naruto scratched his head as he grinned sheepishly. "Nah, that's not it Gai-sensei. Actually, the thing is, after those bastards took my... prisoner... from me, things have changed, and I was ordered by Baa-chan to find out where my new limits are." He replied.

Gai nodded, his demeanor becoming serious as Lee looked back and forth between the two, confusion clearly etched on his face. "Naruto, what is this prisoner that you speak of? The Hokage-sama told us that the most unyouthful members of the Akatsuki stole your chakra to complete a weapon. She never mentioned anything of a prisoner being taken. How could holding a prisoner make you stronger anyway? Have you been doing unyouthful things Naruto?" He asked, frowning a bit, Lee never did like not knowing something.

Gai's eyes widened a bit as he looked at his pupil, realizing that his team didn't know about the Kyuubi. Naruto squinted his eyes and crossed his arms, also looking at Lee. "I wasn't doing anything bad Lee. I was intrusted by a former Hokage to keep a very dangerous criminal locked away, at a pretty big cost to myself. I've protected our village since the day I was born Lee, keeping the village safe from that criminal who wanted to destroy it locked away, and for years, I've been hated for it. The only consolation that I got was that I could use my prisoner's energy to protect the people I love and the village that I live in. It's been hard Lee, but I was proud to keep everyone safe, and I'd gladly do it again if it means protecting innocent people, even if they hate me for something beyond my control. I won't lie to ya, the Akatsuki freed my prisoner, but I'm gonna do everything in my power to stop them, and him, before they can do anything bad." He said quietly, uncrossing his arms as he stared into Lee's own before his gaze flitted over to Neji and Tenten, who were both fairly shocked as well, Tenten covering her mouth with her hands as small tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

Neji took a thinking pose. "Naruto-san, who is this prisoner that you speak of?" He asked suspiciously.

Naruto shook his head slowly. "Sorry Neji, but that's something I really ain't comfortable enough to tell you guys, not yet at least." He replied carefully, trying to let out as little information as possible.

Neji nodded in understanding. "Alright Naruto-san. I was actually going to come looking for you after team training. Hiashi-sama wishes to meet with you later today, and it's very important." He said, his tone brooking no argument.

Naruto's eyes widened a bit. "Hiashi-sama wants to meet with me? Why?!" He asked, surprized. cupping his chin with one hand, Naruto squinted, looking rather like a fox. "Come to think of it... Who is Hiashi-sama?" He asked, causing everyone to facefault.

"Hiashi-sama is the head of the Hyuuga clan, and Hinata-san's father. He wants to meet you about Hinata-san, if I'm correct." Neji replied when everyone got back up, rubbing their heads.

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Right, right. Well, ok then, but I really need to find out my new limits first, so will you guys help me?" He asked.

"YOSH! That we shall! We will help you fan your flames of youth!" Both Gai and Lee exlaimed, giving their patented thumbs-up while Neji and Tenten nodded right behind them in consent.

Naruto grinned. "Alright, so whadda ya say to a spar Lee?" He asked, getting into a fighting stance.

Lee matched Naruto's grin. "Yes, I would very much enjoy a spar with you Naruto. Maybe this time I won't knock you down with a single blow?" He asked cheekily, reminding the blonde of their first meeting, not even bothering to take a stance as the others backed off a bit, Neji activating his Byakugan.

Naruto grumbled something under his breath as he tensed. "I learned a lot under the Ero-sannin when we travelled together Lee, you really shouldn't underestimate me." He warned.

Lee nodded, finally taking a stance similar to the one he'd used against Sasuke all those years ago. "You should take your own advice Naruto, or do you think I've been sitting on my hands that whole time? I have improved my taijutsu greatly. Here, let me show you!" He exlaimed loudly, rushing forward.

The only thing Naruto saw was a green blur as the spandex-clad boy rushed towards him. The whiskered blonde's instincts screamed at him to throw up a guard, which he did, but he never felt a blow land, just a strong gust of wind. "Huh?" Naruto grunted, dropping his arms a bit to look at the smirking taijutsu expert in front of him, standing in the exact stance he had been. "Did you miss me Lee? Why?" He asked, blinking.

Lee grinned as his eyes flitted down briefly. Naruto followed the bowl-haired boy's gaze, his own eyes widening when he saw what Lee had looked at. "HOLY CRAP!" The whskered blonde exclaimed, fingering the long slit in the belly of his jumpsuit, exposing his stomach.

"Do you believe me now Naruto? Now come or I won't hold back next time." Lee warned, making a come hither motion with his extended hand.

Naruto complied, leaping forward with a yell. He unleashed a furious right hook which Lee blocked wth his forearm, his eyes widening a bit at the force behind the blond boys attack. Lee immedietly dropped down, barely ducking under a sweeping roundhouse kick that Naruto preformed while still in mid-air. Coling, Lee thrust upwards with an open-palm uppercut that the still-airborne former jnkkuuri blocked by crossing his arms in front of the attack, though it still sent him flying several feet backwards. Flipping a few times, Naruto landed in a crouch, sliding backwards for almost another two feet. "Damn Lee, that was amazing! I don't think that I can beat you in pure taijutsu." Naruto admitted, grinning ruefully as he rubbed his throbbing forearms.

Lee bowed his head, accepting the praise. "You have improved greatly as well my friend, there are not many in Konoha now who can go against me even in an exchange like that. However, you are right, in a pure taijutsu match you will lose, you are maybe about half as good at Taijutsu as I am, if that." The chunin replied, getting into another ready stance.

Naruto chuckled. "Well, the only way to get there is through hard work, right?" He asked, rushing forward again.

"YOSH!" Lee replied loudly, meeting Naruto's charge. This time Lee was the first to attack, lashing out with a straight left. Naruto crouched down a bit and to the right, going inside Lee's attack as he raised his right arm to push Lee's arm even further away, striking out at Lee's midesction with an elbow strike. Lee countered by blockiing with his knee and spinning around the blond, taking his back as he let loose a forward snap kick. Instead of trying to block, Naruto dove forward, the attack grazing his shoulder as he rolled away from Lee.

Springing to his feet, Naruto rotated his shoulder with a grimace. "Well Lee, thats two for zero in your favor, mind if I kick it up a notch?" He asked.

Lee grinned again. "Yes Naruto. It would be unfair to hold you to my standards, so I shall let you have a handicap. You can go ahead and use your chakra." He said, smirking.

Naruto laughed. "Lee, if it was any one else, I'd try and make them eat their words, but this isn't a pissing contest between us, is it? Naw, I think I'll let it slide this time, but next time I'm gonna beat your ass in taijutsu, believe it!" He exlaimed, pointing at his current adversary, to which Lee grinned in response as the others watched from a short distance away, appraising the two. Making the appropriate handsign, Naruto began to channel chakra for his favorite technique, the kage bushin. The grass began to shift slighlty around the blond boy, signalling just how much chakra he was using as he prepared to flood the area with as many clones as he could, just to see how many he could make now that he no longer had the Kyuubi.

Neji's eyes widened as he saw the surge of chakra with his Byakugan. Naruto was drawing roughly a bit more than twice the chakra he'd used against him in the chunin exams years ago! "What the hell?" He muttered under his breath, sensing another power just behind Naruto's cakra, something that was completely foreign to him even as Naruto's charka output covered the boy completely. The surpries didn't end there for the Hyuuga either when he noticed a sudden shift in the chakra around Naruto's head, or more specificly, his eyes. "A dojutsu?!" He exlaimed.

"Neji, what is it?" Tenten asked as she and Gai looked over at their shocked teammate.

Neji shook his head, unable to tear his gaze away. "I honestly don't know... Naruto's charka is roughly twice what he used against me in the exams, and... There's something else there... But he has a dojutsu, a dojutsu!" He exlaimed, a gobsmacked look on his face as Neji found himself flabbergasted by Naruto for the second time in his life.

"WHAT?!" Gai and Tenten asked simultaniously, turning their attention back on the whiskered blond.

They wern't the only ones who were surprized by the sudden development. Naruto, who'd decided to try and find out how to activate his dojutsu later on, was almost floored by the sudden explosion of colors that surrounded him, every living thing giving off it's own aura field that stood out like a brightly shining beacon in his vision. Blinking in an attempt to adjust, Naruto felt a deep-seated excitement welling up in his chest, he'd activated his dojutsu again! "YATTA! I finally got the damned thing working again!" He exlaimed excitedly, leaping into the air as he pumped his fists. Forgetting all about what he'd been planning on doing, Naruto let the chakra go, letting it slip back into his reserves. No sooner than Naruto released his chaka, his dojutsu immedietly deactivated again, his eyes turning from the slitted silver they had become back to their normal cerulean. Naruto huffed angrily, landing on his feet. "Awww! What the hell happened?! I got them working, but now their out again! Are these things on the fritz or something?!" He cried out in frutration, smacking the side of his head as one would a faulty television, trying to get his dojutsu to activate again.

"Ummm... I don't think that hitting yourself will help..." Neji said as Gai and Tenten sweatdropped.

Naruto nodded, running his fingers through his hair as he sighed, disappointed. Glancing over at his sparring partner, Naruto noticed that Lee's head was down, and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides. "Hey Lee, is everything ok?" The blond asked, turning to the taijutsu expert as he put his arms behind his head.

Lee's hands unclenched, but he refused to look up. "Naruto... san... You are saying that you have a bloodline?" The bowlcut boy asked quietly.

Gai's eyes widened a bit in realization where this was about to go, but he was already too late to act as Naruto spoke up. "Yeah, why?" The blond asked, confused.

Lee finally looked up, a fair amount of anger in his eyes. "You have always claimed to want to get by on hard work, mirroring my own beliefs, but now you reveal to us that you have a dojutsu?! Is my code of honor something that you think you can just trample on so easily Naruto-san?! Do you think to make a mockery of mine and Gai-sensei's beliefs, making us look like buffoons?! Well, I shall not stand for it! Our spar is over, Naruto-san." He spat, turning from the group.

Naruto's eyes were wide as his arms fell limply at his sides. Lee was rejecting him as a friend simply because he had a dojutsu now? "Bu-" He started.

"Silence! I won't listen to you anymore Naruto-san!" Lee yelled, shaking in anger as he took off in a dead run, wanting to just get away.

Naruto grew angry as well. "OH YEAH?! WELL WHO NEEDS YA ANYWAY LEE?!" He screamed at the retreating boy.

Gai, seeing that he needed to step in before things could grow any worse, shusuined over to Naruto, placing a calming arm on the heaving boy's shoulder. "Please Naruto, do not say such things!" He pleaded. "Please, don't be harsh on Lee because of what he said. Lee has always seen you as a close friend ever since the chunin exams the two of you were in together, as another person like him, who suffered under adversity, yet persevered despite all of your setbacks through hard work. Lee has always seen bloodlines as the easy way to power, and has detested them because he thinks they cheapen the values he stands for. It's a harsh blow to him to see someone who he held in such high esteem as being of a likeness to him suddenly display a dojutsu. Lee will need some time adjusting to your powers, but I promise that he will come to his senses." He continued.

Naruto looked up at Gai, a slight hint of sadness apparent in his face, feeling the full weight of the same pain he'd suffered under for years for something that was a part of him that he'd had no control over and was shunned for, Lee's rejection felt exactly like the coldness he'd received from the villagers because he'd held the Kyuubi. "But... But I didn't even know I had this damned thing until last week, when it activated during the invasion!" He exlaimed unhappily.

Gai nodded in understanding. "Yes Naruto. I know that you are the same person you were before your bloodline activated, but Lee is confused about it. Please, just let me talk to him and I will try and make him understand. Don't let his misunderstanding because he's angry taint the friendship the two of you have." He replied quietly. Naruto nodded, and Gai briefly squeezed his shoulder before taking off after his favorite student.

"Well that was a killjoy." Tenten stated, brushing the bangs back with one hand.

Neji nodded, his Byakugan deactivating. "Naruto-san, I am sorry for my teammates behavior, shall we continue?" He asked formally.

Naruto shook his head, his depression hanging over him like a cloud. "Nah. Sorry Neji, but I really don't feel like training any more. Maybe some other time, eh?" He asked.

Neji nodded. "Alright Naruto-san. If that is the case, would you like to accompany me to the Hyuuga manor? Hiashi-sama is awaiting your arrival." The Hyuuga prodigy replied, giving the invitation.

Naruto looked away silently, in the direction that Lee and Gai had run, standing there for several seconds. "Nah..." He finally replied. "Can you go tell Hiashi-sama that I won't be able to come until lunch today? I've got something I've gotta take care of first." He said, deep in thought.

Nej bowed his head. "Alright Naruto-san. I urge you not to be late however, Hiashi-sama does not appreciate tardiness." He replied before turning on his heel and walking off.

"Sorry about all this!" Tenten said apologeticlly, bowing her head as well as she rushed off to catch up with Neji.

Naruto nodded absently, not really paying attention as thoughts rushed through his head in rapid succession. Finally deciding, Naruto took off in the same direction that Lee and Gai had gone.

* * *

It was almost fifteen minutes before Gai managed to catch up to Lee, who was sitting on the edge of a cliff that overlooked a waterfall that bubbled merrily down into a small pool far below. Lee was staring at nothing, his knees pulled up to his chin. Lee was so lost in thought that he almost didn't sense his sensei coming up behind him.

"I thought I would find you here." Gai said quietly, sitting down beside his star pupil.

Lee nodded. "Yes, this has always been my favorite place, ever since you showed it to me, Gai-sensei." He replied in an equally quiet voice.

Gai and Lee sat in silence for several moments, watching the scenery. "Lee..." Gai finally spoke up. "... I must say, I am disappointed in you for your reaction to Naruto's new development. Those were most unyouthful things you said, and you hurt him deeply." He scolded.

Lee huffed, letting his legs dangle over the side of the cliff. "Naruto always claimed to want to get by on his own hard work, to one day become the Hokage. But how does he react when he first gets a dojutsu?! No, Naruto can no longer claim to be a genius of hard work like us, not if he comes from a clan, people who get everything for next to nothing!" He exlaimed angrily.

Gai sighed, putting a hand on Lee's shoulder. "Lee, Naruto hasn't had everything handed to him. He is like us, a genius of hard work. All his life he's strived to be the best he can be, despite numerous setbacks. Naruto never even knew about his dojutsu until the day of the invasion, where it activated and helped him help all of us save Konoha. You are letting your flames of youth be put out by an irrational hatred for bloodlines my student. Do not go down that road, do not resent others for what they have, just accept it as a part of them and continue to be all that you can be as the person you are." He replied.

Lee looked up at his sensei. "But how can he possibly be like us if he's got something that makes things easier for him?! He is too different from us now, has something far too easy, to possibly be considered a genius of hard work!" He shot back.

"That is enough Lee!" Gai snapped, finally losing his temper a bit as he fwapped Lee in the back of the head. "I never want to hear you say something like that again! Naruto has had it hard all of his life, maybe even harder than you Lee! He has been hated his entire life by almost the entire village for things beyond his control. You were teased and ridiculed as a child because of your inability to use chakra, so maybe you can understand his pain a bit better than others. Naruto was treated even worse Lee, he was ignored completely. Can you imagine what it's like to be hated by people wth such a fervor that they would deny you the chance to live if they had the chance? Naruto had to live with that anamosity his entire life, and yet, he's turned out to be a happy person who works hard and does all that he can to protect our vllage and those he loves." He said.

Lee's eyes had widened a bit at what his teacher had told him. "Why? Why did the people hate him so much Gai-sensei? Surely it wasn't because of his prisoner was it?" He asked.

Gai nodded solemnly. "Yes Lee, that is exactly why. It is not really my place to tell you this, because it is one of Naruto's and Konoha's darkest secrets, but I feel you must know so that you can understand him a bit better. However, know this, the secret I am about to reveal to you is an S-class secret, and talking about it to anyone can and will result in the immediate field trial and execution of everyone involved. So it is imparative that you never, EVER repeat what I am about to tell you, do you understand?" He asked, his tone dead serious.

Lee nodded, his eyes going even wider. Naruto's secret was so huge that it carried such a harsh punishment?!

Gai cleared his throat. "Well... Fifteen years ago, when the Kyuubi attacked, it wasn't actually killed by the Fourth Hokage, it was actually sealed within a newborn chld, because such malevolent spirits such as the Bijuu cannot be killed by any means that we possess. The Fourth sealed the spirit of the Kyuubi within Naruto so that it could be contained. The FOurth gave his own life to ensure that the seal that contained the kyuubi would work, and his final wishes were that Konoha would see Naruto as a hero, a savior of Konoha that gave his all to keep the demon sealed away and protect Konoha. Howeer, that was sadly not the case. He has always been seen as a reinacarnation of the fox, and reviled for it. Despite all of that though, Naruto, like you, has persevered through all of the obstacles." He explained.

If Lee wasn't surprized before, he certainly was before, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. "So Naruto really suffered through all of that?" He asked, his voice just above a cracked whisper.

Gai nodded sadly. "Yes Lee, that has been his entire existance. Because of that, friends are more precious to Naruto than all of the money in the world, so what you said to him was more painful than almost anything." He replied.

Lee looked down at his feet, ashamed of himself.

"Lee?" A familiar voice called out from behind the two, soundng out of breath. Turning, Both Gai and Lee saw Naruto standing there, breathing heavily, having just gotten there.

Lee got up, an unreadable expression on his face as he approached within a few feet of Naruto, Gai watching, prepared to jump in if things got bad, unsure of how Lee would react to what he'd just told him.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Listen Lee, I'm not gonna apologize for having a dojutsu, it's a part of who I am now. However, I promise not to use it while I'm around you anymore. I'm the same guy I was before it activated Lee, and I'm not gonna change because of it." He said.

Lee nodded. "naruto... I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier, please forgive me." He replied, bowing slightly at the waist.

A wide grin spread across Naruto's face. "Don't worry about it Lee! Just know that I'm gonna kick your butt when we spar, ok?" He shot back playfully.

Lee returned the grin in kind. 'Only in your dreams Naruto, your flames of youth will never outshine mine!" He exlaimed, giving Naruto a thumbs-up.

Naruto replied by playfully shoving the older teen. "Yeah, whatever Lee! Anyway, I've gotta go meet Hiashi-sama for lunch, so how 'bout we try again tomorrow, eh? I promise to whup ya up one side of the field and down the other!" He grinned.

Lee nodded. "Yes Naruto, I would very much like to try you again tomorrow. So how about you stop by our training field at about the same time you did today?" He asked.

Naruto nodded. "Sure thing!" He exlaimed, pumping his fist into the air.

Behind the two, Gai smiled at the touching scene, proud of his student.

**-End-**

A/N- I know that I said at the end of the last chapter that I'd have Naruto's meeting with Hiashi in this one, but this chapter is already the second largest for 'Destiny' That I've written, so I decided to cut off there, and place the meeting in the next chapter, which I've already started on. ) Which, Hiashi isn't the only person he'll be having lunch with, as Yumi's team makes ther Dinamic Entry!

So stay tuned for the next exciting chapter in Destiny! Chapter 13, Lights, Camera, Lunch!


	14. Chapter 13, Lights, Camera, Lunch!

A/N- Whoa, this is my longest chapter so far!!

**Chapter 13, Lights, Camera, Lunch!**

Tsunade sat at her desk, almost abesnt-mindedly signing important documents, which was one of the more boring jobs of the Hokage. Tsunade tried to concentrate on her work, knowing the serious reprecussions of signing the wrong thing, but for the life of her, Tsunade couldn't Get Naruto out of her mind. Naruto... And what the demon told her in it's last seconds of life, it's voice barely above a strained whisper.

_-flashback-_

Tsunade and the rest of the group made it to where Naruto had clashed with the titanic demon that had been destroying their village, almost everyone gasping in shock at what they saw. There, laying in the center of a crated that probably engulfed more than a tenth of Konoha, lay Naruto an the large demon. Naruo's eyes were drooping, as f he were loosing conciousness, and the demon... Well, the demon had been obliterated for lack of a better word. It's entire midsection was missing, leaving what innards and blood that hadn't been vaporized in the clash to spill freely across the ground.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried out as she and several others rushed to his side, just after the demon muttered something illegable to the boy. Walkking over to the collosal creature's head, Tsunade looked it over with a cold eye. "It's over, you have failed, and your wounds are fatal." She stated bluntly.

The demon let out a low chuckle, which was surprizing, as it only had half a lung left at best. "**_Yes mortal, I know that me and my bretheren have failed here. But don't get your hopes up yet, there is still much, much more to come."_** It replied with a tone implying a malicious smirk.

Tsunade snorted. "We stopped you, and we'll stop the others. Even if we are hurt from your attack, we have gotten one of our most powerful fighters back, and with those new powers he's shown, we will prevail, wether he still has the Kyuubi or not." She shot back.

The demon turned it's head weakly to stare at the downed form of Naruto. **_"So the boy really did contain lord Kyuubi?"_** It asked, it's tone being one of surprize. Letting out another chuckle, the demon turned it's head back to the Hokage. **_"How very interesting... If there is any mortal on this pitiful mudball that could keep the king of the foxes in check, it would most definitly be that one. Yes mortal, that boy may be able to thow our plans askew, but it is also likely that he will join us, if hs inner darkness takes over."_** It said evilly.

Tsunade turned a sharp eye on the demon. "What do you mean?!" She growled.

The demon chuckled again, this was just too rich! "**_That boy, like all mortals, has an inner darkness. However, unlike you other puney monkeys, he has apparently awakened a demonic power of hs own. I do not know much, for I was never big on developing my ability to sense energy, but the power I felt from that boy most definitly felt demonic. Be wary that he does not lose his heart to hatred, for that boy could become a demon of a more terrifying magnitude than the Kyuubi, or even maybe..."_** It trailed off.

Tsunade had paled a bit. "How do we stop him if it comes to that?" She asked.

The great demon shook it's head. **_"I will not tell you anymore human, for my time draws upon me, and I feel my life waxing. If you want to keep the little boy as he is, then you had best figure out that on your own. However, everyone gives into their inner darkness eventually, and I would so love to be there to see him when he does, for you will see a power unlike anything your mind could possibly hope to comprehend being born to reap destruction and chaos across the planes. Enjoy your life while you may mortal, for your time draws soon as well, if the Bijuu can complete their plans..."_** It informed, giving a last, rattling gasp as it shuddered once and died.

Tsunade stood there, unsure of what to do for the first time in a long time as she stared down at the demon's carcass.

_-end flashback-_

Shaking her head to clear it, Tsunade turned her attention back to the documents she was going through, catching a mission request to assassinate one Tazuna of Wave country, filed by the new president of Gato Trading and Shipping Co. Remembering Naruto's stories of the particular mission that led him to help liberate the country of wave from the tyrant Gato, Tsunade picked up her rubber stamp, and slammed down a hard 'DENIED' on the paper, adding a few more for good measure. "Shizune!" She called out.

"Yes M'lady?" Shizune asked, poking her head through the office door.

Tsunade grabbed a peice of paper, scribbling down a note on it. "I've got a task for you. It seems that the Gato T&S. Company didn't collapse when that pig Gato died, and now their new president is trying to place a hit on the man that Naruto told us about, Tazuna. Please go to the client waiting lounge and deliver the request form back to the man who brought the job to us, and make sure to tell him that we will never accept such a mission from them. Then I want you to find Naruto, tell him to drop what ever he's doing, and then give him this. It's a B-rank mission from me for him to hand-pick a team and go to wave to assess if we should assign a mandatory guard unit to protect wave for a time. If those Gato people are acting up again, it may hurt our trade routes with Wave." She ordered, handing the request form and the note that she'd written to Shizune.

Shizune bowed her head, taking the two peices of paper. "Yes Lady Tsunade." And with that, the young jonin disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Going over to the window n her office, Tsunade looked out at the view over her hometown. With a dep sigh, she looked back. "Shizune's gonna have to clean those leaves up when she gets back." She said to no one, a deadpan expression on her face.

* * *

For the first time in his life, Naruto felt nervous, very nervous. There, sitting in front of him in all it's well-maintained glory was thhe Hyuuga clan compound. Everything was in such glaringly pristine condition that it was actually imposing, seeming as if one wrong move by Naruto would utterly shatter the impression of perfection that was presented. That wasn't what was making Naruto so nervous however, though it certainly added to the feeling. No, what was making Naruto so nervous was one Hiashi Hyuuga, flanked by the two gate guards and Neji, as he stood there, observing the former jinkuuri with a completely unreadable expression on his face, his arms at his side. "Thank you for accepting my invitation today Naruto-san, I hope that my request did not force you to change any plans." He said politely, his tone perfectly neutral.

Naruto bowed as deeply as he thought appropriate. "Thanks for graciously inviting me into your home Hyuuga-sama, it's an honor." He replied with a grin.

Hiashi nodded, the two gate guards that had informed him of Naruto's arrival returning to their posts. "Well, shall you come in? We've only a small spread for lunch today, but our meeting shouldn't take too long, though I hope you forgive me if you find the meal lacking." He said, motioning with one hand as he began to walk, Neji matching his stride just behind the head of the Hyuuga clan.

Naruto walked quickly until he was beside Hiashi. "Nah, don't worry about it Hyuuga-san, it's not like you were expecting me to show up at lunch time. I'm sorry that I couldn't have been here earlier, but I had some things to straighten out with Neji's teammate, Rock Lee." He replied.

Hiashi nodded as they continued along a small walkway that lead beside a large koi pond."Yes, Neji mentioned something of such a nature. I pray that nothing is wrong? That Lee boy has never been one for bloodlines, he thinks that it detracts from our abilities and makes us soft." He said, the slightest note of a sour tone in his voice.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, everything is alright now. It wasn't looking too good at first, but think Gai-sensei managed to get to him before I was able to talk to him about it. So, Neji told you about my dojutsu?" The whiskered blond asked.

Hiashi nodded as they rounded a building, coming into a sprawling, well-manicured garden, a table with an assortment of dishes sitting in the center of a small clearing in the middle of it all. Looking the food over, Naruto quickly realized that he didn't recognize any of the dishes, save for rice and the pot of steaming tea.

"Please, have a seat." Hashi beckoned as he sat at the head of the table and Neji sat to his right. Naruto nodded, folding his legs under himself as he sat on the soft grass opposite Hiashi on the table. Picking up a cup, Hiashi waited patiently as a servant seemed to materialize out of nowhere, picking up the teapot and pouring the hot liquid into his waiting cup before setting the pot down again and backing up into the background. "Yes, Neji informed me of your... new development. Though, that is not to say that I did not have an idea already. Your exploits during the demonic invasion have been talked about quite a bit, and one of the most mentioned things is the fact that your eyes changed to an odd, silver color, and your pupils slitted. What powers do your eyes contain?" He asked, taking a sip of his tea.

Naruto blushed a bit as he chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry Hyuuga-sama, but I'm afraid I really don't know anything about it. The first time I activated it was during the invasion, and then I was unconcious for a whole week. I managed to activate it again this morning, but then it just slipped away from me again. I'm afraid I don't even know how to activate the darned thing!" He exlaimed.

Hiashi nodded, watching the boy in front of him. _'You are good indeed, Naruto-san, I cannot even tell if you are telling the truth, or acting in an attempt to keep your abilities a secret_.' He thought to himself, though not letting any of his thoughts show on his face as he quietly ate some of his food. "That is perfectly understandable, especially since there are no records of anyone else wth similar eyes. If you wish, we can help you discover how to activate and properly use your dojutsu. Our clan has a long and illustrious history, and we have much knowlage in the way of dojutsu. I am sure that your ability, whatever it may be, will be a great asset to Konoha in the future." He said, setting down his chopsticks.

Naruto scratched the back of his head again as he squinted a bit, grinning sheepishly. "Thank you Hyuuga-sama, but I wouldn't want to impose."He replied.

Hiashi waved it off."Do not worry about it Naruto-san. I would like to talk to you about what happened just before the invasion. Tell e, was your... prisoner... forcefully taken from you?" He asked, causing Neji's attention, which was already razored, to sharpen even further, this was possibly the most important part of their conversation.

Naruto nodded, taking a few bites of food, finding it delicious. "Yeah, he was taken, and they plan on using him as part of a weapon of unimagionable proportions." He said seriously.

"Really? It would seem to me that their weapon was devestating enough already, considering what it did. How could it possibly be any more powerful? Do you have an idea of how to stop them? What of your prisoner?" Hiashi shot off the questions one after another.

Naruto took a sip of his tea. "Well... Since your an imortant member of Konoha, you will probably find out eventually, especially since things may get pretty bad pretty soon, so I'll let ya in on a bit of what I know. My prisoner... wasn't complete. When he was locked away, only half of his power was left for me to guard over, and the other half was sealed somewhere else. Our best chances of stopping Akatsuki's plan depend on us finding where the other half is sealed, and either destroying it or securing it somehow so those bastards can't get their hands on it. I don't know how powerful that weapon will really be. The next few months are gonna be the most important to the future of our world that we'll see." He said solemnly

Hiashi nodded. "You can count on the full support of the Hyuuga clan." He replied as Neji inwardly sighed, he hadn't dscovered who Naruto's prisoner had been! Hiashi cleared his throat. "Now... for the real reason why I invited you here Naruto-san... It has come to my attention that my daughter, Hinata, has feelings for you. wished to meet you today to get a judge of your character, to see if you are worthy of the affections of the heiress to our great clan." He said, his voice taking a hard edge to it.

Naruto bowed his head. "Yeah, I only found out about Hinata-chan's feeling for me recently myself. I hope that she's not in trouble for liking me, considering how I'm viewed, and how that might reflect on your clan..." He said, somewhat meekly.

Hiashi nodded. "It is true that not too long ago that I would have expressly forbid her from ever even talking to you for such a thing... But you have proven yourself to be a valiant, noble man Naruto-san, and not the reincarnation of your prisoner that so many feared for so long." He cleared his throat again. "That's why... Naruto-san, you have permission to date my daughter." He said quietly.

Both Naruto and Neji stared at Hiashi, gobsmacked looks on their faces. "Really?! Thanks Hyuuga-sama!" Naruto cheered as soon as he'd recovered his wits.

"Calm yourself!" Hiashi commanded. Once Naruto settled back down, a blush of embarassment for loosing his composure spreading across his cheeks, Hiashi closed his eyes as he finished off his cup of tea. "However, I will expect that you will be a perfect gentlemen, and you will not expect... things... from my daughter. The future contains many uncertain paths, and you never know what might happen." He said in a somewhat dangerous tone, the implied threat thinly veiled.

Naruto nodded vigorously. "Don't worry Hyuuga-sama, I won't try to pressure Hinata-chan into anything, you've got my word." He vowed.

Hiashi nodded as they stood, extending his right hand. "Alright Naruto-san. This was a very enlightening meeting and I hope that you will come to us soon so that we might help you with your dojutsu. Please though, call me Hiashi-san, I do believe that the one who has earned the title 'Konoha's Silver-eyed Savior' has earned that much at least. Now, if you'll exuse me, I've other important matters to attend to. Neji will show you the way out." He said.

Naruto took the man's hand, shaking it, as an equal."Sure thing Hiashi-san. Thanks once again for inviting me into your home, and I will be sure to stop by soon, I could really use some help to improve, for the good of our home." He replied.

Hiashi nodded, bowing his head the slightest bit as he turned and walked away, disappearing into one of the near-by buildings.

* * *

It was only a few minutes later that found Naruto and Neji outside of the clan walls, Naruto falling against the hard surface with a huge sigh of relief. "I thought I was gonna die back there! That was tough!" The blond complaind, squinting.

Neji nodded. "Yes, Hiashi-sama can be a very intimidatig man. You handled yourself very well though Naruto-san, much better than I would have expected of you. What do you plan on doing now?" He asked, crossing his arms as he looked at his whiskered friend.

Naruto grinned. "Well, that food was good, but it wasn't very filling, so I'm gonna go get some ramen!" He exlaimed, flashing a victory sign.

Neji couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Well, enjoy your meal Naruto-san. So, when do you plan on asking Hinata-sama on a date?" He asked

Naruto shrugged, pushing away from the wall. "I dunno to tell ya the truth, I guess I've gotta plan something." He replied. Suddenly, a sly grin spread across the boy's face. "So, Neji? When do you plan on askin' out Tenten?" He asked.

A slight blush spread across Neji's face, hardly even noticable. "I don't know what your talking about." He said, the slightest hint of a nervous tremor in his voice.

Naruto sniggered. "Sure, whatever you say Neji. Just don't take too long or mess up, girls with sharp and pointy objects can be dangerous!" He exlaimed, guffawing when Neji blanched. "Anyway, I'm off! Later man!" He exlaimed, waving with one hand as he stuck the other in a pocket walking off.

* * *

Hinata walked through the streets of Konoha, havng spent the day with Kurenai-sensei. The woman, while still hurting from Asuma's loss, was making notcable progress, and she was handling things much better than she had been before. They'd actually gone to the hospital earlier for a check-up, and both women were overjoyed to find that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Kurenai's pregnancy so far.

Hinata was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice where she was walking until a loud, familiar voice that filled her heart with happiness asking for another bowl. Looking up, Hinata found that she was standing just in front of Ichiraku's, and Naruto was sitting at the counter, a large stack of bowls sitting in front of him even as the old man served him another.

Sporting a small blush, Hinata started forward, hoping to talk to the boy who caught her heart. She was stopped though as a sleder hand clamped down on her arm. Looking back, Hinata's eyes narrowed. "Why hello tramp, is there something I can help you with?" She asked crisply, glaring at the one person she considered a rival, Yumi Misawa.

Yum snorted. "I was just happening by. How about you Hinata-baka? Stalking Naru-kun?" She asked archly.

Hinata slowly shook her head. "No. As a matter of fact, I was just about to get some lunch here, and it just so happens that Naru-kun is here as well. Now, if you'll exuse me..." She ripped her arm from Yumi, walking towards the ramen stand.

Yumi glared as she walked beside Hinata. "Really? I was planning on the exact same thing!" She exlaimed in a falsly sweet voice as both girls entered the resteurant, sitting on either side of the blissfully unaware Naruto, who practically had his face buried in his next bowl. Ayame looked up from what she was doing, seeing the predicament her favorite customer was unknowngly in. "Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen! May I take your order?" She asked, somewhat loudly.

"Miso ramen please." Both girls said simultaniously, shooting glares at each other while Ayame nodded as she and her father began preparing the noodles.

Hearing their voices, Naruto's ears twitched and he set his bowl down, turning his head from side to side as he stared at both Hinata and Yumi. "Hey guys, what's up? He asked happily, squinting as he flashed a foxy grin.

"Nothing, how about you Naru-kun?" Yumi asked, smiling at th blond as she batted her lashes at him. _'Oh my god, he's got the most gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen!'_ She squealed internally, tracing his arm with one finger.

Naruto shrugged "I just came from a meeting with Hinata-chan's dad, and decided to get a bite to eat at my favorite stand." He replied as old man Teuchi flashed him a grin and a thumbs-up.

Hinata squeaked, grabbing Naruto's other arm. "M-my fa-father? Whu-what d-did the tuh-two of you talk ah-about?" She asked worriedly, her stutter returning full force.

Naruto grinned. "Well, yer pop wanted to meet me. We talked for a bit, and then he gave me permission to date ya if you want!" He exlaimed, grinning happily.

Hinata's blush came so suddenly and wqith such force that the girl thought that she might faint with happiness, her father gave Naru-kun permission to date her! This was the happiest moment of Hinata's life in many years, and it showed clearly as she bowed her head, poking her fingers together. "Ah-I wo-would very much li-like to d-date you, Naru-kun." She said demurely.

By that point, Yumi, who'd gone as pale as a ghost started to freak out. "Naru-kun!" She cried out, latching onto the boy's other arm, pressing her cleavage against it. "Please date me Naru-kun! Come over to my house tonight and meet my daddy! I'm sure he'll give you permission as well!" She continued, huge crocadile tears welling in her eyes.

Naruto looked back and forth between the two blushing girls, unsure of what to do. "Uhhh... Hmmm..." The whiskered blond took a thinking pose, causing Ayame to giggle at the exaggeratedly serious look on his face. "Well... Damn, I don't know!" He cried out, flopping his arms as best he could.

"Naru-kun, go on a date with me tonight!" Both girls said at once. Shooting glares at each other, they both leapt from their seats, facing one another in the street. "Back off Hinata-baka!" Yumi growled.

Hinata snorted. "As if I would. My father has given us his blessing, and I fully intend to take advantage of it. Naruto and I are meant to be!" She retorted, crossing her arms.

"Uhhh..." Naruto started to say something, only to be interrupted by Yumi. "Like fun you say! Why would he want to go out with someone like you when he could have me, huh?" She asked.

Hinata was about to answer, when a sudden, high-pitched voice cut in. "YUUUUU-CHAAAN!" Came the clearly effimenate call.

"Oh Kami, not this right now." Yumi groaned, holding her face with her hands.

A sudden explosion of smoke erupted right beside the two girls, screening the area from view. When it cleared, both Naruto's and old man Teuch's jaws dropped at the sight that was presented to them. Standing there in a seductive pose was one of the most beautiful girls that either man had ever seen, wearing a red hakama that was only loosely closed together, barely consealing her ample breasts, which threatened to jiggle free of their confinement with each movement the girl made. She had full, lushious amber-colored hair that ran freely down her back, and her eyes were enough to make any man fall in love, being almond shaped and dark, giving her a naturally sensual look. Her skin tone was a deep tan, and her hakama couldn't hide the fact that the girl was curvy in all the right places, giving her an almost ethreal look about her as she seemed to glow. Looking around, she spotted Yumi. "Yu-chan!" She squealed happily, latching onto the girl, hugging her tightly as she squished Yumi's face into her chest.

"Quit drooling! Pigs!" Ayame whispered harshly, fwapping both her father and Naruto over the back of the head with a Harisan, causing both men to gulp and straighten up.

Hinata, for her part, was watching the odd scene. Who was this odd girl who seemed so friendly with her rival. "Ummm... What is going on here?" She asked.

The girl who had dropped in so suddenly turned her gaze on Hinata, her eyes hardening. "And just who are you?" She asked in a cold tone.

Hinata sniffed. "It's rude to ask someone's name without giving your own first, but very well. I am Hinata Hyuuga, and you?" She asked.

The girl looked Hinata up and down a few times. "Ugly." She snorted.

The words crashed onto Hinata like a ton of bricks as she balled her fists, shaking with anger. "Care to run that by me again?" She asked in an icey tone.

The girl flipped her long hair. "You heard me, your ugly! Trying to steal my Yu-chan from me, what's wrong with you?" She asked.

Hinata's eyes widened to almost comical proportions, realizing what this new, mysterious girl was. "Well, for you information, I'm definitly not trying to steal your 'Yu-chan' from you. But even if I was, and if I'm ugly, then what would that make you, being the one who lost to the ugly girl?" She asked in a mildly annoyed voice.

The girls face turned an interesting shade of angry red, and she was about to attack Hinata, when she was suddenly smushed into the ground by a giant mallet. "Chisaki-baka! Why in the hell yould you do that?!" Yumi asked angrily, a visible aura of rage forming around her as she held the mallet aloft.

"But Yu-chaaan!" The girl, identified as Chisaki whined, getting up a she brushed herself off. "C'mon Yu-chan, please don't be like that!" She looked as if she were about to start bawling.

Yumi sighed, her mallet disappearing from view. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my teammate and self-proclaimed number one fangirl, Chisaki Susana." She said, holding out her hand in front of the other girl in an introductory manner.

"It's nice to meet you all!" Chisaki exlaimed, winking at them and blowing a kiss.

Yumi turned to her teammate. "Chisaki, what the heck are you doing here?" She asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Awww, do I need a reason to see my Yu-chan?" Chisaki asked, wiggling a bit before she pounced on Yumi, smothering her in another hug. "Now c'mon, quit flirting with that girl and come with me!" She said seductivly.

Yumi tried her best to push Chisaki away. "I don't want Hinata-baka!" She exlaimed as the Hyuuga heiress snorted in the background. "The only one for me is Naru-kun!" She exlaimed, freeing one arm enough to point at Naruto who had been sitting there quietly, which would have shocked anyone who knew him, had they realized it.

Chisaki immediately let go of Yumi and walked over to Naruto, bending forward at the waist as she examined him with an even colder eye. "I may have been lying about Hinata-chan, but you really are ugly, you stinky boy." She said as rudely as she could, waving her hand in front of her face for good measure.

Naruto crossed his arms as he squinted at Chisaki, looking rather fox-like. "Yeah, so what if I'm ugly? Guys arn't supposed to be pretty ya know. And I don't stink, I took a shower and put on deoderant this morning!"He replied.

Chisaki leapt back, taking a fighting stance. "You are good! No one has ever taken my verbal barbs before! Alright then, I challange you to a duel! The winner gets Yu-chan, and the loser has to give up on their affections for her!" She exlaimed.

Naruto was about to refuse when he suddenly found himself being shoved forward by Yumi. "Go get'er Naru-kun!" The girl cheered.

Grumblng, Nauto scratched his head. "You really don't wanna do this. I already know your weakness, and I'll defeat you in three moves without even hurting you." He said, seeming to channel a bit of Shikamaru.

Chisaki glanced around, seeing that a rather noticable crowd had gathered. "You just try it Naru-baka! You say you'll beat me in three moves without even hurting me? Well, I'll beat you by beating you into the ground!" She proclaimed, pointing at him.

Naruto shrugged. "It's your choice." He said in an almost bored tone, cleaning his right ear with a pinky finger.

With a roar, Chisaki rushed at the blond, pulling a fist back to deliver a devestating left haymaker. Just as she was about to reach him, Naruto held his hands up in a familiar seal. "Sexy jutsu!" He proclaimed, suddenly turning into a nude blond bombshell with twin blond pigtails and whisps of smoke covering her naughty bits.

Chisaki stopped in her tracks as she began to blush cutely as several men in the crowd fell over in a faint, grinning pervertedly as blood ran from their noses and several women shot them and Naruto dirty looks. "You think that will stop me?!" Chisaki asked, taking a fighting stance again, though she was still blushing.

Naruto grinned. "I'm not done yet. Here's the second technique, Harem jutsu!" He exlaimed, making the seal for kage bushin. A huge billow of smoke surrounded the two combatants, and when it cleared, Chisaki was standing there, a perverted grin on her face and a bit of blood dripping from her nose as several more nude female versions of Naruto rubbed up against her, causing several more of the men in the crowd to pass out.

Throwing her hands out, Chisaki pushed the clones away with great reluctance. "That is indeed a formidable technique, but it's not enough to beat me! Now, I attack!" She exlaimed, rushing forward.

Naruto chuckled going through another set of handseals just as Chisaki was about to hit him. "Sexy Neko jutsu." He muttered under his breath, being enveloped in a cloud of smoke that blinded Chisaki. When the smoke disappated, there, instead of Naruto, was a pink-haired girl laying on the ground, propped up on one hand. On top of the girl's head were two black cat ears that were tipped with white, and the only thing she wore was a pink lace bra and panties, as well as a collar around her neck that was connected to a chain. "Please master, teach me how to be a woman." She begged demurely, looking up at Chisaki with large, watery eyes.

This proved to be too much for Chisaki as she was sent rocketing backward by a huge nosebleed, falling in a heap on the ground, unconcious and sporting a perverted grin. It was also too much for even to most stalwart of men to handle as they all passed out as well, old man Teuchi included, earning him a smack from Ayame's harisan. "Sexy Neko, success!" Naruto exlaimed with a grin, releasing the henge.

* * *

A few minutes later, Chisaki's eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring up at the faces of Yumi, Hinata, and Naruto. "I gess I lost, huh?" She asked sadly, receiving a nod from Naruto. With a great sigh, Yumi looked up tears in her eyes. "Well... I guess that means I must give up my affections for Yu-chan..." She said, sniffing.

"Chisa-chan..."Yumi started to reach for the girl. She may e annoying, but she was still her friend and teammate.

Chisaki shot to her feet. "So, from this day forward, I will burn with a new, greater passion for my Yu-chan!" She exlaimed to the heavens, clenching her fists as she cackled and the others facefaulted. "Naruto! You are indeed strong, so you will be my rival in the race for Yu-chan's heart!" She continued, pointing at the whiskered blond, who was getting back to his feet, rubbing his head.

"Chisaki-baka!" Yumi growled, getting to her feet as she shook a fist at the girl.

Before anything else could happen, Shizune appeared before the group. "Naruto-kun! There is an important mission for you from the Hokage!" She exlaimed, handing a slip of paper to the blond.

Looking down at the paper that had been trust into his hands, Naruto's eyes widened. "Well, damn." He said, crumpling the paper.

**-End-**

A/N- XD Well, I think this is the funnest chapter I've written so far! Tell me what ya think of it in a review please!


	15. Chapter 14, Enter the Wantabis!

A/N- Well, here are the stats as of last chapter; words-57,707 chaps.-14 reviews-90 hits-14,305 c2s-12 favorites-44 alerts-66.

Yahoo! My story is popular, and it's all thanks to you guys! So a big shout-out to everyone who reads my story and likes it, I wouldn't be here without you all!

Anyway, thee were a few of you who noticed the Ranma elements in my story, so I figure I should cover this now, before anyone decides to grumble. Ranma 1/2 was the first manga I ever picked up, and thusly, it's had a great influence on me and my style of writing, so there are going to be quite a few Ranma-esque jokes in my story, as well as a few scenes taken from the manga itself and reworked if I think a scene would fit in really well in my works. So, here's a challenge, how many Ranma references can you spot per chapter? Try it and see!

A bit of bad news- My friend Bobby, who owns the laptop that I've been doing all of my writing for this story on (I've been recovering from a surgery this entire time), wants his laptop back, so I'm afraid updates won't be coming as fast as normal, now they'll only come one every week or two, instead of eery few days like I've been doing. This is actually a double-edged thing though, because I can still work on the story on my own desktop, which can't connect to the internet, and since it'll be longer between the updates, I'll probably be able to make the chapters longer and with fewer mistakes, and maybe even post multiple chapters at a time. Would that be cool?

Note! There is Naruto/Hinata fluff in this chapter, for those of you who may have been grumbling that I'm taking the relationship too slow and putting too many obstacles in their way. There will be K.I.S.S.I.N.G.!

**Chapter 14, Enter the Wantabis!**

Tsunade was sitting at her desk, the paperwork for the morning finally done, and now she was reaching for the hidden compartment that had been put there by her grandfather, the Shodaime Hokage. It was a drawer that had been used by every single Hokage, and was sealed so that it would only open for the person who was recognized as the current Hokage. Bosth her grandfather and granduncle, who had been the first and second hokages respectivly, had kept important doucuments in the drawer, and it wasn't until the reign of the Third that had changed that, as he'd taken to hiding his personal copies of Icha Icha in there, and the Fourth had kept, surpriingly enough, his favorite childhood toy in there, an action figure given to him by the Third when he was a little boy. Tsunade sighed nostalgicly as she opened the drawer and pulled out her own form of comfort, cup and a bottle of chilled sake, kept cool by a small waterproof container that was filled with ice.

Tsunade sighed with content and was about to pour the elixer that would keep her going through the day, when a sudden, loud knock pounded onher door, causing the current leader of Konoha to jump a little in surprize, almost spilling her precious stress releiver. Quickly capping the bottle, Tsunade shoved it and the cup into the hidden drawer, closing it. "Come in." She commanded, shuffling some random papers on her desk, trying to look like she was doing something important.

The door poped open, Naruto coming through as he waved at Tsunade. "Heya Baa-chan!" He exlaimed, a foxy grin spread across his face as Shizune, Hinata, that girl who Tsunade had seen near the end of the invasion, and another unknown girl, whose chest was revealed even more than her own was, filed in right behind him.

Tsunade scowled a bit, but refrained from bopping Naruto on the head. "What do you want gaki? Have you assembled your team yet as ordered? Is this them?" She asked, eying the three girls as Shizune moved over to stand beside her.

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I was stopping by here first so that I could get a bit more information. If I'm gonna be asembling a team, I need ta know what kinda force I need ta put together." He replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tsunade nodded. "Alrght, a fair enough request I suppose. We got a mission request this morning, given to us by one of the undermen of the new president of the Gato Trading and Shipping Company. Apparently they've recovered from the blow dealt them when Gato himself died, and now they are seeking revenge against those who they felt wronged them, and they wanted to start with the assassination of the bridge builder, Tazuna. I suppose that they wanted it to be a poetic justice, Konoha nin helped Tazuna free wave, so now they want Konoha nin to help bring it's savior down. We turned down the mission of course, but there's no telling what else that company might do. That's why I need you to put together a team to do some recon in wave to determine if we should build an outpost there to provide a steady protetion for Wave, seeing as we have important trade routes with them." She informed.

Naruto nodded, looking more than a little pissed at what he'd heard. "Alright, I accept. Why me though?" He asked.

Tsunade sighed. She loved the gaki, she really did, but he had too man questions sometimes. "Because Naruto, with the exeption of Sakura and Kakashi, you know wave the best. There's also a chance that Gato Company could seek to hire nin from other countries, and you accel at combat under uncertain situations. And finally..." She coughed out something, turning her head.

"Eh?" Naruto asked, a dumb look on his face.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "... I said, and the last reason is because the people of Wave see you as their hero... and they even named their great bridge after you." She grumbled.

Naruto blinked, a surprized look blossoming. "Eh?" He intelligently asked again.

Tsunade slapped her forehead, he could be so dense at times! "You heard me! Now get going, I want you to leave within the hour." She commanded.

Naruto blinked again, rubbing the back of his head. "Alright." He said, somewhat uncertainly as he mentally ran through the list of people he knew, trying to put together a team in his head. "Well, I'm gonna go then, I'll be back in a few weeks. Keep my seat warm for me, cuz' I'm gonna claim it when I get back!" He said to Tsunade with a grin plastered on his face, walking away with a wave, Hinata, Yumi, and Chisaki following rght behind him.

"Be careful gaki." Tsunade whispered.

Shizune turned her head towards her master. "Did you say something m'lady?" She asked politely.

Tsunade shook her head. "It's nothing..." She trailed off, looking down at her hands. "... Actually, I've got a question for you Shizune. If you knew who someone's parents were, and they didn't know, would you tell them, even if it means that it could potentially cause problems?" She asked.

Shizune cupped her chin with one hand as she thought about it. "Well, that would depend on the person. Who is it?" She asked.

Tsunade got up from her desk and walked over to the window, staring down at the streets below as she saw Naruto and the others exit the tower. "... It's Naruto." She said quietly after several seconds.

Shizune gasped in shock. "You know who Naruto's parents are?! Who are they?!" She asked in disbelief.

Several more seconds passed as Tsunade put one hand on the glass of the window. "Naruto's parents were..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Kushina Uzumaki of Whirlpool and... Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage." She said quietly, causing Shizune to gasp.

Shizune felt as if she were about to faint from such a shocking revelation as she grabbed onto her master's desk for support. How hadn't she seen it earlier? They looked so much alike that it should have been glaringly obvious to even a blind man! "Are you sure?' She asked meekly, remembering the crush she used to have on the man.

Tsunade nodded in silent confirmation.

Shizune straightened herself as best she could. "... Then yes, I would tell him if I were you. Naruto has already sacraficed so much for the village, he deserves some comfort at least." She answered Tsunade's question, her tone solemn.

Tsunade looked up at the Hokage's monument, at Minato's face. "Alright then. When Naruto returns, I will announce to the whole village that he is the heir to the Namikaze name, and shall also announce that he is my chosen successor for when I step down as Hokage." She said quietly.

Shizune gasped again. "Are you sure that he's ready m'lady? Naruto is still so young and naive!" She exlaimed.

Tsunade nodded. "I've given it a great deal of thought. It will be a few years yet before I step down, but we're in an age where we'll see great changes to our future, and the best thing for Konoha isn't someone who is good at political manpulations, but someone who can lead with a strong fist and a pure heart. Besides, the only other person who is qualafied that I'd choose is Kakashi, and he's too important for other things right now." She replied.

Shizune nodded mutely as Tsunade returned to her desk to resume her work, the next set of documents that she needed to look over would be arriving soon.

* * *

"So, who are you going to take with you?" The question broke Naruto from his reverie as he turned his head to look at the speaker, Yumi.

"I dunno, if you wanna know the truth." The former jinkuuri replied wth a shrug. "This will be my first time as a mission leader, and I guess I can't just take random people that I like, that could turn out bad. Like Baa-chan said, I do best when it comes to having to act on my instinct in a fight, but I'll nee more than that since this is a recon. I'll probably take Shikamaru, since he's the most intelligent out of our group, and he can come up with the best plans. Apart from that, Gai-sensei's team would probably be the best for the job, since they can cover fighting and recon, with Neji and all, and I'll probably take my team as well, since we're mostly known in wave, and Sakura can provide important medical support if things get bad, not to mention that Kakshi-sensei is probably the most well-rounded ninja I know. Sai... Well, he might be useful somehow." Naruto said, ticking off the names with his finger.

"A-ano, that's a l-lot of puh-people..." Hinata stuttered, walking beside Naruto on his left side.

Yumi nodded, taking Naruto's other side. "Yeah, but what about us? We can be useful too! Even Hinata-baka has the Byakugan at least." She said.

Naruto shook his head. "Sorry girls, but I chose the people I did for a reason. Your a nice person Yumi-chan, but I really don't know you and your team all that well, and ya really need to be nicer to Hinata-chan." He said, finishing by slightly scolding the girl, making her flush with embarassment while Hinata smirked slightly. Holding his hands out, Naruto stopped all three girls in their tracks as he turned to face them, looking back and forth between Hinata and Yumi. "Girls, I really don't know what's going on here, but I know ya both like me and wanna date me, and that's cool and all, but you two have gotta stop fighting, your acting like air-headed fangirls!" He exlaimed, crossing his arms over his chest as he squinted at them.

Both Hinata and Yumi blushed, looking away while Chisaki pouted in the background, feeling forgotten. "Sorry Naru-kun, it's just a natural reaction I guess." Yumi said quetly.

Hinata nodded. "Y-yes, I will admit th-that I've been acting foolish s w-well, but I've loved you for ye-years, and th-then, when I finally mu-mustered my courage, this girl c-came along, an-and I felt threatened..." The Hyuuga heiress added, bowing her head.

Naruto nodded his head. "Alright, I guess I can understand..." He said, even though their reasons flew almost miles over his head. "... However, Yumi-chan, I hardly even know ya! We met on the day I rescued ya, but how can you claim to love me so quickly? And you Hinata-chan, sure, you told me recently that ya like me, and I agreed to go on some dates with ya, but I hardly even know ya! You always shied away during our years together in the academy, and when I would talk to ya, you'd alwas turn red and would hardly talk, if at all! I'm sorry girls, but I really don't know what to feel at the moment." He continued.

Both girls looked as if they were close to tears at that point, their heads hung low, and Chisaki, being the outgoing person that she was, decided to take the initiative before things got worse, striding fowrward as her eyes blazed with a rightous fury. A loud, resounding smack echoed above even the common din of sound that was in the street, causing both Yumi and Hinata's heads to snap up, seeing a shocked Naruto standing there, his mouth hanging open and an angry red mark in the shap of a hand on his right cheek. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Chisaki growled, her hand still stinging from where she'd slapped him. "Both of these girls, as much as I hate to admit it, are in love with you Naruto-baka, and this is how you talk to them?! Are you that freaking dense?! You never, EVER, talk to a girl like that! You say you don't hardly know them? Well get to know them dammit! Go on dates with 'em, don't jump down their throats about it! Kami knows that they like ya, hell, I kinda like ya, and I hate guys! But if I ever hear ya talking to either of them like that again, I swear to god I'll tear you a new one, and no pervy jutsu will stop me, understand?!" She asked angrily, poking Naruto in the chest with each sentence.

Naruto, rubbing the spot where he'd been smacked, nodded dumbly, struck mute by the rage the girl was displaying. Hell, he'd had girls mad at him all the time, but he'd never experience such true anger by a member of the female gender before.

Yumi gasped, grabbing onto Chisaki's arm as she pulled the heaving girl back. "Naru-kun, I'm sorry..." She said quietly.

Naruto, broken from his stupor, scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Eh, Chisaki's right actually." He admitted, causing all three girls to blink in surprize as they stared at him, their sadness (and in one case, anger) momentarily forgotten, he was admitting that he was wrong?! "I'm sorry girls, I didn't know that I was being so harsh, but luckily, Chisaki stopped me from puttin' my foot in my mouth any worse than I did. So whadda ya say we forget what just happened, eh?" He asked, his tone pleading.

Both Hinata and Yumi blushed. "Ah-It's o-ok, Naru-kun" Hinata spoke up, Yumi nodding beside her.

Naruto grinned. "Great! Well... Since I've got that mission, I really can't do anything now, but how about when I get back, we go out, eh? I don't know how all that stuff works, but surely we can figure something out." He said, grinning as he continued to scratch the back of his head.

Hinata and Yumi turned an interesting shade of scarlet at almost the exact same time. He was asking them out? Sure, they both had to deal with him going out with the other at some point and time, but they'd gotten a date from hm, and they didn't even have to ask! "Sure thing Naru-kun." Yumi said with a grin. Looking down at her watch, the girl's eyes widened to comical proportions. "Oh crap, we're late for our team meeting! Sorry Naru-kun, but I've gotta run! You will go out with me when ya get back though, right?" She asked.

Naruto grinned, nodding. "Yep, sure thing." He replied casually.

"Great!" Yumi squealled as Chisaki mumbled something about stupid blonds in the background. Rushing forward, Yumi hugged Naruto and gave him a peck on the cheek, rankling Hinata. "Later! Be safe on your trip!" She exlaimed happily, grabbing Chisaki's hand and rushing off, pulling the suprized girl along.

Naruto blinked, unsure of what just happened. "Well, I guess I'll be going..." Hinata said from eside him, sounding dejected as she turned to leave.

Naruto reached out, grabbing Hinata's hand before the lavender-haired girl could leave. "Hinata-chan, please walk with me for a minute. I wanna talk to you." He said solemnly.

Hinata, surprized, nodded mutely as she and Naruto took off down the street at a steady, slow pace. "Y-yes, Naru-kun?" The girl asked uncertainly after they walked in silence for a few moments.

Naruto turned his head, smiling at the pale-eyed girl as he reached out, grabbing her hand in his own. "Hinata-chan, I hope you forgive me for taking Yumi-chan out, but I'm new to this whole thing, and I really don't know how to handle it." He said as they walked, hand-in-hand. "... However, I wanna go out with you first, to go on my first real date with you. And I was hoping you'd say yes." He grinned at her, squeezing Hinata's hand.

Hinata blushed a deep red. "Y-yes, Naru-kun, I would love to." She said demurely, scooting closer to the objet of her affections, pressing her shoulder against his.

Naruto nodded. "Great then! But Hinata-chan, there's something else that I wanna talk to you about. Something that I haven't gotten the chance to yet." The whiskered blond said solemnly, stopping.

"What is it?" Hinata asked, turning to look up at Naruto.

The boy sat down, patting the grass beside him in an offer for Hinata to sit as well. Looking around, the pale-eyed girl realized that they were in the same spot that she'd confessed her love to him at, by one of the small lakes that were within Konoha's walls. Sitting beside him, Hinata waited patiently for Naruto to speak. After a few moments, Naruto cleared his throat, staring out across the lake. "Hinata... Do you know my secret? About how... How I was the container for the Kyuubi?" He finally asked quietly.

Suddenly, the memory of their meeting with the odd, masked man who called himself Tobi sprang with perfect clarity into Hinata's mind. "Hai." She replied quietly.

Naruto looked down. "Well, those Akatsuki bastards took it from me, but even so... How could you even like me, knowing what I was?" His voice was just above a pained whisper.

Hinata looked at Narto, cupping his face with one hand as she turned his head until his eyes met hers. "Naru-kun... Even after I found out, the only thing you've ever been and will ever be is Naruto Uzumaki, the hero, the man, who helped the Yondaime Hokage protect us from utter destruction by an evil demon. You are the greatest, most noble person I've ever known, and you are the person who captured my heart, and will always have it, no matter what may come." She said without even the slightest hint of a stutter, smiling serenely at him.

"Hinata-chan..." Naruto breathed, reaching up with one slightly trembling hand, brushing Hinata's hair behind one of her ears. Without even realizing it, Naruto started to lean forward. Hinata leaned in closer as well, her lips opening slightly as she closed her eyes, her lips meeting his in a gentle, yet firm kiss. Slowly, Naruto's tounge tenativly probed against Hinata's ruby lips, and she opened them even further, allowing him access as her tounge met his, further deepening their second kiss. Under the brightly shining sun, the kissing teens wrapped their arms around one another as they lay back in the grass, unseen by any.

* * *

"Ok, what the heck is going on here?" Shikamaru's voie cut through the silence as he took in the scene before him. There, standing just outside of his house Was a grinning Naruto, an entire group behind him, looking as if they were ready for travel. Off to one side stood Sakura and Tenten, who had been talking quietly among themselves while Neji stood silently, his eyes closed. Rock Lee looked as if he were barely restraining himself from bouncing around. Near the rear, Kakashi and Gai stood, watching over the others while Sai stood near Naruto, smiling that perculiar smile of his.

Naruto chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, y'see Shikamaru, I've been ordered by Baa-chan to assemble a group for a B-rank recon mission to Wave country." He replied, explaining why they all looked ready to leave.

Shiakamaru nodded, pulling a pack of cigarettes from one of his chest pockets, lighting one up before putting the pack away again. "Ok, so what do you need me for? Looks like you've got more than enough people here already." The genius said lazily, blowing out a plume of smoke.

Naruto shrugged."Well, the truth is, I really don't know what's gonna happen on this mission, and Baa-chan told me to expect anything. That's why I want you to come, because your the best tactical guy I know! This is an important mission, and it's my first as the leader of a squad! Please Shikamaru?" Naruto begged, using his best imitation of a puppy-dog.

Shikamaru sighed, muttering something about troublesome blonds. "Is this true?" He asked, Looking at Gai, Kakashi, and Neji, the three jonin of the group.

Gai nodded, giving Shikamaru a grin and a thumbs-up. "That it is, our lazily youthful friend! Both Kakashi and myself confirmed this, and Lady Tsunade gave Naruto permission to take who he sees fit!" The bowl-cut jonin exlaimed.

Shikamaru sighed, seeing the pleading look Naruto was giving him. "... All right." He said, causing Naruto to whoop and leap into the air. "Just let me grab my travelling pack, and we can be on our way." He disappeared into his house.

Naruto grinned excitedly. "This is gonna be the coolest mission ever!" He exlaimed happily.

* * *

"This has gotta be the most boring mission ever!" Naruto exlaimed unhappily for the fifth time as the group walked along. It had been several hours since the group, which had been dubbed 'Super Awsome Team Naruto' by the hyper-active blond, had left Konoha, opting to walk along one of the trade roads rather than hop through the trees, in an effort to conserve energy in case they needed, and to watch for any suspicious activity, such as thieves who might try and rob passing caravans, which stopping them fell under their objective, or so Shikamaru claimed, though Naruto thought that it was just because the boy wanted to be lazy.

As they walked, the wind blew into their faces, causing most of the group to sigh happily. Kakashi tilted his head though, his nose twitching. Motioning with one hand, he sent a silent signal, to which Gai, Neji, shikamaru, and Sai all nodded, Neji quietly activating his Byakugan while Sai palmed a scroll. "-and so I was li-huh?" Naruto had been in the middle of telling Sakura and Tenten a funny story when Shikamaru put a hand on his shoulder, motioning for him to be quiet.

Neji scanned the area, almost immdiately spotting the people Kakashi had detected. "There are four of them. They don't look to be ninja. They're armed with different weapons, and a few throwing ones as well. All four of them are pretty large and seem out of shape." He informed quietly.

Gai sighed and Kakashi smacked his face with his hand, groaning. "Oh Kami, don't tell me it's-"

Kakashi never got to finish as a smoke bomb went off, covering the area in front ouf the group in a haze. "TREMBLE IN FEAR, FOR WE ARE THE GREATEST WARRIORS TO EVER GRACE THE ELEMENTAL COUNTRIES!" Four voices boomed from the screen. First to burst from it was a man who looked to be in his early twenties, his skin a deep tan color. He was a large, fluffy man, standing at 5'10 and looking to be around 270lbs. He had short, curly dark brown hairand his eyes were covered by a thick air of glasses. The man clumsily twirled a large axe beore bouncing the butt of it on the ground, almost loosing his grip on the weapon. "Wantabi Sexhai!" He exlaimed, thrusting the axe into the air with one hand, posing.

The second to burst from the smoke screen was a man who was slightly taller and older than the first, sporting a lighter tan than his companion. He carried himself better, and looked to be in much better shape, but it looked fairly clear that he didn't do too much training either. He had hair as dark as Sexhai's, though it was shorter and it looked like a small swath had been cut from the front. "Wantabi Coolah!" He announced, drawing a longsword, holding it with both hands over his head.

The third came out much more calmly than the first two, walking forward. He was somewhere between Sexhai and Coolah in terms of his height and girth. He, unlike the others, had bright red hair, and was extreamely pale, intoning that he didn't get out much. "Wantabi Rulah." He said in a voice that suggested either boredom or uncaring, resting one hand on the handle of a katana at his waist.

"And finally, Wantabi Strongah!" Announced the last man, bursting from the smoke. He, like the others, seemed to be soft and out of shape, though he was probably the tallest of the group, if maybe by a half inch. He, like Sexhai and Coolah, had dark brown hair and brown eyes, though they were hidden behind thick glasses. He swung a spear aorund a few times, crouching in front of the others as he held the butt of the spear above his head, the tip beside his foot, pointed at the ground, making his pose look like a terrible imitation of a popular spear-fighting style.

All four men were dressed in the same black short-sleeved shirts that announced 'THE WANTABIS!' in bold letters, and loose-fitting pants. "Together we are the mighty and unstoppable Wantabi ninjas!" They all announced simultaniously, posing together, causing the entire group in front of them to sweatdrop.

Naruto got over his surprize at the sudden appearance by the four odd people. "Hey, just who the heck are you guys?!" He shouted, pointing at them.

Kakashi sighed. "Well, I was afraid this day would come. This is the most infamous group you all will ever meet. Team, meet the Wantabi gang." He said, letting ou a long-suffering sigh. "They are the single worst group of fighters either Gai or myself have ever had the misfotroune of meeting, or any other ninja for that matter." He explained.

"Hey, that wasn't nice Kakashi-baka!" The one identified as Strongah exlaimed angrily, rattling his spear.

Sakura looked confused. "But sensei, if they're so useless, then why are they so infamous?" She asked, sparing them a glance as they made faces at Naruto, who was turning red with anger.

"Who the hell cares, I'm gonna kick their asses!" Naruto roared, thrusting his fists into his kunai and shuriken pouches, running at the group, who suddenly took fighting poses.

"Naruto!" Sakura exlaimed, getting ready to charge in after her teammate, only to be stopped when Kakashi put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Sensei?" She asked uncertainly, looking up at him.

Kakashi shook his head. "No Sakura. Trust me, you don't want to be a part of this battle. Between Naruto and those four, this will likely be the silliest and most embarassing match you'll ever see." He said, Gai nodding beside him in agreement.

Naruto, rapidly coming upon the four Wantabis, threw his hands out, sending a brace of shuriken and kunai flying at them. "ZOMIGAWD! POINTY THINGIES FLYING AT US!" Strongah screamed in a high-pitched voice as all four started started to freak out, running around in random circles, somehow dodging all of the shuriken and kunai, which went flying uselessly into the underbrush.

"What the hell was that?!" Neji asked in shock as Sakura's and Tenten's jaws dropped.

Gai patted his young student on the back. "That, Neji, is one of the reasons why the Wantabis are so infamous. In addition to their poorly executed plans that almost always wind up doing more good than harm, they are known for possessing an uncanny ability to dodge almost any attack,especially fatal blows, with an ability that some say borders on the precognative, of which some say such dodging skills exist only in the truest of cowards. I don't know if that's true or not, but I did one time see them in a battle a long time ago when I was out on a mission to rescue the kidnapped princess of a small kingdom. IN the battle, which they'd stumbled upon, the entire area was engulfed in a huge fireball that was strengthened by a large gust of wind, and they looked to be caught in the middle of it, yet all fouur emerged from the flames with only smoking backsides, running away as they screamed girlishly." He told the group.

Lee looked up at his mentor, stars in his eyes. "You've rescued a princess Gai-sensei? Were you rewarded for your valor?" He asked.

Gai blushed a bit as he coughed into his hand and looked away. "Sort of..." He mumbled, embarassed.

"Hey, what's going on now? Are they planing on throwing weapons back at Naruto?" Sakura asked, watching as all four members put their weapons aside and pulled out an assortment of throwing weapons. Sexhai held a pair of throwing axes, Coolah had palmed some kunai, Rulah prepared some shuriken, and Strongah... "IS that a discus?' Sakura asked, bewildered.

"Quick, everyone take defensive positions!" Gai exlaimed as he and kakashi both pulled kunai out.

Everyone else, save Naruto, formed up as well, pulling weapons of their own. "What's going on? Surely they arn't good at throwing weapons!" Tenten said, a hint of anger in her voice. No one was better at ranged weapons than she was dammit!

Kakashi shook his head. "No, three of them have the accuracy of an average genin, but Strongah is the most feared person when it comes to throwing things you'll ever have the misfortoune of meeting." He replied.

Just as Tenten was about to retort, Strongah issued a mighty roar, spinning around a few times as he slung his discus as hard as he could at Naruto... causing the heavy disc to fly backwards, causing the other three Wantabis to scream and dive out of the way of the deadly projectile as it went spinning past, slamming into a tall, thin sapling, snapping it at it's base, causing the tree to fall forward, bouncing off of Coolah's head, causing the man to drop his kunai as he grabbed his head in both hands. "DAMMIT STRONGAH!" He yelled angrily, running up and kicking his friend in the knee.

Tenten blinked as almost everyone else facefaulted. "What was that?" She asked, unsure if her eyes were playig tricks on her. Was she under a genjutsu? Surely no one was that bad!

Kakashi shook his head. "Strongah is known as having the single worst aim in known history. I remember one time I was hired to guard a town that was under threat of being raided by a group o rouge ninja. Anyway, I was facing the rouges in a rocky canyon, when the Wantabis managed to stumble in the middle of our battle. Strongah threw a shuriken at them. The shuriken flew over the rouge's heads, bouncing off of the handle of a large zanpakto that one of the ninja, a man from Mist, had on his back. The shuriken struck the handle and went flying up, striking some rocks and dislodging them, causing an avalanche that decimated the rouges. No one died, but they were either too wounded or too scared by then to even think of continuing, and fled." He said as everyone sweatdropped, looking at Strongah, who was clutching his knee where Coolah had kicked it. He was really that bad at projectiles?!

Naruto, who'd just stood there, was growing angry. "Dammit, take this seriously!" He roared, charging the Wantabi gang.

"Who said we wern't?!" Sexhai shot back, throwing his axes at Naruto and grabbing his large axe up again, rushing to meet the charge with an overhead chop.

Naruto easily parried the axes and dodged around Sexhai's swing, bonking the large man on the back of his head, rushing between Coolah and Strongah, who were still arguing about Strongah's throwing skills and bopping them as well, before stopping before Rulah. "Your turn." He growled, balling his fists.

Rulah calmly grasped the hilt of his katana. "I'd like to see you try." He replied coldly, drawing the steel. "You cannot defeat me, for I am a master of... Kabuki style swordsmanship! WHOA CHA CHA CHA!" He exlaimed, holding the sword above his head with one hand as he thrust his other hand forward, palm out and his fingers splayed, cocking his knees as he bounced around on one leg.

This of course caused Naruto to facefault. "What the hell is that?!" He screamed, getting to his feet and charging at the man, taking a swing at him.

Surprizingly enough, Rulah dodged the attack, falling over onto his side and rolling out of the way, coming up as he slashed his katana defenively, trying to keep Naruto at bay. Surprized, Naruto fell back as the Wantabis grouped together again, brandishing their weapons menacingly. "You are a formidibale opponent indeed, Leaf shinobi!" Strongah exlaimed, sticking his spear into the ground and walking forward. "Thereby... I shall defeat you and your compatriots with my most powerful technique!" He exlaimed, reaching into some pockets.

"NOOO!!" The other three Wantabis screamed, charging at their compatriot. It was too late though. "SUPAH HOT PHOTOS!" The man screamed, leaping a foot into the air, flinging his arms out wide. Naruto took a defensive stance, wondering what was to come... when several pictures started to fall down all around them, each one a different picture of Strongah posing... naked.

"OH KAMI, MY EYES!" Coolah screamed, clawing at his eyes as the other two rushed over towards some bushes, feeling sick to their stomachs while Strongah stood there, a triumphant smirk on his face as he crossed his arms. Seeing the photos, Naruto turned green and clutched his stomach, turning around as he covered his mouth with his other hand.

"That was most unyouthful! You shouldn't do such things!" Lee exlaimed unhappily, looking away.

"I'm gonna be sick..." Neji muttered, having seen every photo due to his Byakugan, which he hadn't been able to deactivate in time to avoid the attack, Shikamaru nodding rihgt beside him, his eyes closed.

Tenten bended over, picking up one of the photos as Sakura peered over her shoulder. "How cute, it's so widdle!" She said in a fake baby voice, sniggering as Sakura laughed and pointed.

"Hey, it was cold that day!" Strongah cried out, an embarassed flush spreading across his face.

"Sure, whatever." Tenten said dismissively, tossing the photo back down.

Strongah sniffed as he and the other Wantabis jumped away. "Well get you back for this!" He exlaimed, pulling a smoke bomb out and tossing it down. The bomb exploded, releasing a rancid rotten eggs smell.

"Dammit, you used too much sulfer again!" The group heard the other Wantabis yell, followed by a thunk, before the smoke cleared, revealing that the Wantabi gang were nowhere in sight.

"Well, that was embarassing." Sai said, sporting the same smile he always wore, the others nodding in agreement as they sweatdropped.

* * *

A few days and a group of Bandits earlier, Naruto and the others reahed the entrance to the great bridge, the morning mists covering most of it. "well, here we are." Naruto sighed nostalgially, looking up as the mists began to clear, gasping along with Sakura when they saw the name of the bridge.

There, incribed on a bronze plate, were the words 'The Great Naruto Bridge, built by many, protected by few. We will never forget the Konoha ninja who saved our lives, and by Naruto Uzumaki, who saved our hearts." The sign proudly read.

**-End-**

A/N- Well, I've got a question for you all. Have I become a better writer than I was at the start? I would like to think so, but I'd also like to know what you all think.

Anyway, since Bobbo is coming to get the comp. on Friday, I'll have enough time to churn out one last chap before I'm reduced to posting only once every week or two. So, how did'ja all like the Wantabis? There the only people that I've introduced into the story that are based on real life people, and they'll pop in occasionally simply for slapstick fun. XD though, who knows, they might get an important role later...


	16. Chapter 15, The Iwa Mountain

A/N- (chuckles nervously) Hey readers! Sorry for the delay in this chapter, but my friend, who took his laptop back, never sent me my file with all of my content in it, including a quarter-written new chapter. That actually isn't all that bad, since I'd been thinking about restarting the chapter anyway, but then my computer messed up AGAIN, so it had to be taken to Bestbuy AGAIN, and it was still having trouble when we got it back! So I, in all of my big ol' fluffy angriness, sat down and tried to fix it myself (and I do believe that I probably looked something a bit like a mad gorilla trying to do long division, and may have acted like it a few times), and I finally got my internet to working properly! So now I can once again bring you the quality chapters you've all grown to love (or maybe hate, or feel totally indifferent towards).

Anyway, we've hit the 100+ review mark! Thank you everyone who has reviewed thusfar, and I'm looking forward to what all of you have to say in the future!

Also, I am holding a contest. For information please read the A/N at the end of the chapter.

ja ne!

**Chapter 15, The Iwa Mountain**

It was another bustling day in the country of Wave, shopkeeps already up and hawking their wares to passer-by. It looked like a completely new town from the way it had been three years earlier when the tyrant Gato died and the great Naruto bridge was built. gone were the run-down, ramshakle buildingings that looked to be held together by nothing more than plywood and rusty tin, having been replaced as soon as Wave's economy had started to turn around. No longer were homeless beggers sitting on every street corner and ragged children in the street, now that everyone had jobs and the orphans who had lost their families to the Gato corperation were adopted. Yes, Wave had completely turned around, but that didn't mean that she had forgotten her heroes, and it couldn't be more obvious as people stopped to openly gawk as the of the said heroes walked right off the bridge and onto the main street, the legendary team seven, who had helped break the iron grip of Gato.

Team seven, of course, were not expecting the reception they got as they calmly sauntered into town, only to be beseiged by a huge crowd of cheering people who rushed up to them, crowding all about, completely ignoring everyone else who was crossing the bridge, including a kindly looking elderly man who was being assisted along by his loving son and daughter, as well as a pearl-eyed monk and his pineapple haired apprentice, whom went in the opposite direction of the hobbling Old man and his family.

Naruto, who was still unused to such attention and growing more and more uncomfortable by the second, finally threw his hands up into the air, knocking away all of the hands that were currently touching him. "Ok, what the heck is going on here?" He cried out over the throng of voices of praise, causing the people to quiet down as they backed up a bit.

"Now Naruto, calm down." Kakashi said calmly, never looking up from his Icha Icha book, seeming completely untouched somehow.

One man stepped forward, bowing deeply. "sorry for our rather abrupt greeting, but it isn't every day that our fair town's greatest heroes return to visit us." He said as several people nodded in agreement and broke out into murmurs.

Naruto looked confused. "Huh?" He grunted. "What the heck are you guys talking about? Tazuna lives here, doesn't he?" He asked.

Sakura groaned, resisting the urge to bop Naruto on the head. "He's talking about us Naruto." She answered, causing Naruto to start and turn towards her, a confused look on his face. "Think about it." She continued. "Yes, Tazuna built the bridge, but who protected him while he did? That would be us, so it's only natural that we would be considered heroes as well." She explained as it dawned on Naruto.

The man who had spoken up nodded. "Yes, that is true, but there is much more to it. You all gave us something that we hadn't felt in years because of that bastard Gato, a sense of hope that things would get better. You especially, Naruto-san. You instilled a seed of hope that grew in the heart of Tazuna's grandson Inari, a need for justice that spread to us all and helped us finally gather the courage to stand up to the thugs and criminals that had kept us down for so long. For that, you will always be counted as the great heroes of Wave." He explained. "So, what brings you back to our humble town? Surely nothing is wrong?" He asked plesantly, folding his hands behind his back.

Naruto was about to reply when Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. "actually, things have been really hectic recently, so we decided to take a little break and come back here for a week or so to visit our friends." He lied, though his tone was so sincere that it would have been impossible to detect by any but the most seasoned of ninja. Naruto and Sakura, getting the message, nodded in agreement.

The man bowed again. "Very well, Kakashi-san. Would the three of you like a guide to show you around town? We could even show you the places that have either been named after or otherwise dedicated to you, they are some of the most popular spots in the entire town. For instance, our famous Naruto ramen stand is one of the most popular food stands we have." He told them.

Naruto's eyes had gone starry as he clasped his hands together in front of him. "Is their ramen good?"" He asked, practically drooling, he hadn't had real ramen since Ichiraku's!

Sakura sighed, slapping her forehead. "Great, just what he needs, a store named after him." She moaned.

The man turned his smile on Sakura. "Now Sakura-san, please don't say such things, don't you want to visit the Sakura Beauty Parlor? Your hairstyle and color are all the rage these days." He said plesantly, motioning around. Surely enough, many women in the crowd had their hair exactly like she did the last time they were in wave, with varying hues of pink.

Sakura blushed a bit. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to go look." she replied with a giggle.

Kakashi cleared his throat, getting ready to speak, when the man interuppted him. "And Kakashi-san! Would you care to come to Kakashi's Paradise? It is our top-selling adult bookstore, and we carry copies of the entire Icha-Icha series, including the ultra-rare Icha-Icha Heaven!" He exlaimed.

Suddenly, Kakashi's blush was even larger than Sakura's. "Heh heh... well, I guess a quick look-see couldn't hurt. You guys go see your places, and we'll meet up at Tazuna's in half an hour, ok?" He asked, his voice sounding almost pleading, he had to get his hands on that book!

Naruto sniggered. "Sure thing Kakashi-sensei, just don't take too long, ok guys?" He replied, getting nods from the other two. Looking arou d, he almost instantly spotted the Naruto Ramen Stand. "Ramen, here I come!" He exlaimed happily, leaping over the awed crowd and rushing towards it.

"Boys..." Sakura sighed, shaking her head as several of the girls giggled at the blonde's antics. "Sooo... Where's the beauty parlor?" she asked, several of the women jumping forward, eager to show her the way.

All of the remaining men just stood around, shuffling their feet or looking at different things. "Well... Shall we?" Kakashi asked, his tone conspirational. The man who'd been talking nodded, and all of them started towards Kakashi's Paradise, every one of them sporting small, perverted blushes. As they walked, Kakashi looked over, where a man who had stayed in the back of the crowd broke away and darted down an alley.

* * *

Neji and Shikamaru were wandering through the town, disguized as a monk and apprentice, greeting the civilians as they scoped out the layout of the area, commiting it to memory in case they needed to know later on. They found nothing amiss however, with absolutely no trace of the Gato company anywhere. They were about to make their way to where Kakashi had informed them Tazuna's house was when they passed a small bar where a group of five men where gathered, sitting close together as they whispered amongst themselves. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed slightly as he stole a glance at the men, nudging Neji in the side. "Yes, son?" Neji asked, turning his head to where he was looking at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru, in turn, pointed discreetly at the men in the bar, and Neji looked to where he was pointing. There, on the back of one of the men was an open pouch, in which an Iwa headband could be seen. Nodding to Shikamaru, Neji started for the bar, his partner following close behind. "exuse me, but could we get some water?" He asked politely as he and Shikamaru sat down at the bar, fairly close to the men, who shut up and cast glances over at the duo.

"Sure thing." The barkeep replied, going over to a sink and filling a pair of glasses, bringing them back and setting them before the two. "Ya sure ya want water? Why not somethin' a bit stronger?" He asked.

Neji shook his head, picking his glass up and sipping from it. "No, I'm afraid not. We are travelling monks, and as part of our vows, we swore never to drink alchohol." He replied, earning a nod from the barkeep as the men turned back to their conversation, though at an even lower tone than before.

"Excuse me father, but could I receive a blessing?" A deep baritone voice asked from just behind the duo as a shadow fell across them.

Surprized that anyone could sneak up on them like that, both Neji and Shikamaru turned around in their seats, seeing a man standing fairly close, a half-opened curtain not too far away revealing a bathroom. The man had to have been one of the largest that either had ever seen, standing maybe half a head shorter than Gai, and more heavily muscled than anybody they'd ever laid eyes on, with arms almost as thick as Shikamaru's waist and a girth that surpassed even Choji's, rippling muscles standing out tautly against the sleeveless shirt the man wore. He had a dark tan, and a friendly-looking face with a wide grin, his upper lip framed by a pencil-thin moustache and small, twinkling eyes. His dark hair was extemely short and nappy, being probably the curliest that either had ever seen, and though the man seemed friendly enough, both could sense that he practically screamed danger. "Why yes my son, you may." Neji said, saying a small prayer for the large man. "I must say, you are probably the largest man that I've ever laid eyes on." He said conversationally after he finished.

The man nodded, grinning. "Yes, and you are probably the first Hyuuga that I've ever laid eyes on." He replied, causing the group of near-by ninja to tense. "what are you doing so far from home, Hyuuga-san?" The man continued.

Neji nodded. "Yes, I was once a part of that clan, but I forsook that name and all of the pomp that came with it when I joined the clergy. As to why I am here, I am accompanying my apprentice on his pentience journey, visiting all of the lands, as I did with my own master some years ago." He replied. "Why are you here? I do not believe that I have seen Iwa ninja on this side of Fire Country's borders in quite some time." He continued.

The large man nodded, shooting a glare at his comrades. "yes, we are Iwa nin. We were contracted for a mission that just happened to take us through Wave, and we decided to stop for a drink. we were hoping to travell incognito, but it seems that my companions have been a bit careless. Ryo Tensai, at your servecies." He said, extending his right hand.

"Minori, and this is my apprentice, Hanya." Neji replied with a smile, shaking the man's hand, then Shikamaru. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Tensai-san, but if you will exuse us, it is time for my apprentice and myself to continue our journey, for the life of a monk is full of work helping those in need and spreading the word of faith. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I pray that you and your comrades shall be safe on your mission." He said, bowing his head as he and Shikamaru stood up.

Ryo bowed as well. "That it was monk-san. Thank you for the blessings and I hope that you and your apprentice shall have a safe journey as well." He replied with a friendly tone, walking the two to the entrance-way.

* * *

When they were a fair distance away from the waving man, Shikamaru cast a glance towards Neji. "This is bad, we've gotta report to the others right away that there are Iwa nin in the town." He whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Neji mearely nodded silently and the two set a round-about course for Tazuna's occasionally looking ove their shoulders to see if they were being followed.

* * *

Ryo watched as the two disappeared around the corner of a building before he walked back into the bar, his friendly smile turning into a scowl. Looking down, he saw the open pouch of one of his men, where his Iwa headband could clearly be seen. "You damned idiot, are you trying to throw our mission off?" He asked, smacking the man in the back of the head.

"S-sorry suh-sir!" The man apologized shakily, rubbing the back of his head as he fastened his pouch closed.

Ryo snorted in disgust, crossing his arms as he glared at the barkeep. "Are we gonna have any trouble out of you, or will you keep your trap shut?" He asked.

"Hey, I didn't see nothin', I didn't hear nothin'." The barkeep replied, washing an empty cup as Ryo nodded.

Suddenly a man burst into the small bar. "S-sir! Konoha ninja just showed up!" He reported, coming to a halt in front of Ryo.

Ryo grumbled under his breath. "I know, there seems to be an infestation of 'em." He said. whirling around, he whipped his hand out, and the next thing anyone knew, the surprized barkeep was sinking slowly to the ground, a kunai lodged in his throat. "Hide the body, then lets move, we've gotta report." He said, grabbing a closed sign that he spotted, hanging it on a small nail on one of the outer support beams.

* * *

Naruto sighed happily, getting ready to start on his fourth bowl that the smiling cook put down before him when he sensed someone sit down beside him and order a bowl of miso ramen. Looking up, Naruto was surprized to see the largest man he'd ever seen sitting beside him. He was at least a head taller than any one else he'd ever seen, so heavily muscled that he'd make anyone else seem small by comparison, with fists so large they looked like they were as big as Naruto's head! His face was friendly looking, set with laugh-lines and wrinkles that only came with age. He had a neatly-trimmed grey beard and long, strangly hair that hung down from where it was receding all the way down to the base of his neck. "WHOA! YOU'RE HUGE!" Naruto exlaimed, pointing up at the man.

The man threw his head back, bellowing laughter. "And you, my little friend, are short! How's the air down there?" He teased, grinning.

"Hey, that ain't funny!" Naruto grumbled, slurping down his ramen. "another pork please!" He called out.

"I thought it was pretty funny." The jolly giant chuckled, eating his own ramen. "That's a Leaf headband, isn't it? Does that mean that your a ninja?" He asked, pointing at Naruto's forehead protector with his chopsticks.

Naruto grinned and was about to answer when the cook butted in. "Why yes he is! Naruto-san is a hero of our country, and one of the greatest ninja ever! As a matter of fact, both this stand and the great bridge that has brought us so much prosperity are named after him!" He exlaimed, causing Naruto to blush a bit at the praise as he continued to grin, scratching the back of his head.

The large man whistled. "Whoa, that's impressive! So your really that strong of a ninja, huh?" He bent down, peering at Naruto closely, rubbing his chin. "Hmmm... you look familiar... you wouldn't happen to be related to Minato Namikaze, the famous Fourth Hokage of Konoha, would you?" He asked thoughtfully.

Naruto blinked as he looked up at the man. "Huh?" He asked, squinting, crossing his arms over his chest. "Nah, I don't think so." He replied.

The large man looked surprized. "Are you sure? You look enough like him that you could pass off as his son!" He exlaimed.

Naruto's eyes widened a bit and he grinned. "Thanks, the Fourth is my idol!" He replied happily. "Nah though, I don't have any parents, they both died the night the Kyuubi attacked." He looked down into his ramen.

The large man reached down, clapping Naruto on the back. "There there, my new little friend. The attack of the Kyuubi was a tragedy that was felt throughout all of the elemental countries, and the Fourth Hokage is hailed as a hero almost everywhere for stopping that menace. I am sorry for your loss." He said solemnly.

Naruto grinned up at the man. "Naw, don't worry about it. They're in a better place now, and I don't even know who they were anyway." He replied.

The man's eyebrows rose. "Really? Well, if they were still alive, I'm sure they would be proud of you, you seem like a good kid. What brings you here anyway?" He asked.

"I'm on a vacation with my team. It's been pretty hectic lately, and we decided to take some time off and come back to visit a friend of ours, who used to be a client." The blond replied, sticking to Kakashi's lie.

The large man nodded as he ordered another bowl. "Well, a ninja's life can be a tough one. What is your name?" He asked.

Naruto grinned. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, Konoha's number one prankster ninja, and future Hokage!" He exlaimed, causing the man to bellow with laughter again.

"Well, I expect you to reach that far, Uzumaki-kun!" The man replied, matching Naruto's grin.

A feeling of new friendship and comrade surrounding the resteurant, both men, one young and one fairly old, turned back to their ramen, eating in comfortable silence.

* * *

Tazuna was lazing on a beach chair on the dock just outside of his house, half asleep as he held a fishing pole loosely in one hand. So comfortable was he that he didn't even notice anyone approaching until a shadow fell across his face. Cracking one eye open, He gazed up, only for both eyes to widen to almost comical proportions as he stumbled to get up and only succeeding in falling out of his chair. "Kakashi, Sakura! What brings the two of you here?!" He exlaimed, shooting to his feet as he gaped at his two friends, who'd met back up with one another on the road to his house. Just then, the bobber on Tazuna's line dipped beneath the water and the pole jerked violently as the fish that bit started to fight, pulling Tazuna, who was already off balance, onto one foot as he struggled.

Sakura giggled at the old man's antics as Kakashi flipped through a shiney new Icha Icha Heaven. "Well, to be truthful Tazuna-san, we're here on a mission. It seems that the Gato company is up to it's old tricks again. They tried to hire us to kill you, but we turned down the mission and were assigned instead to come and make sure that everything was alright." He stated simply.

Tazuna blinked, aborbing the information. "Really? That's bad. We've just now fully recovered and started booming, if the Gato company decided to do something now, it would mean disaster!" He exlaimed, worried as he reeled in the fish.

Kakashi waved his hand. "Don't worry Tazuna-san, that's why we're here, to see that it isn't happening, and to stop it if it does. Otherwise, we'll report back to our village and send another, larger force out to build an outpost here. You have become valuable trading allies after all." He replied nonchalantly.

Tazuna nodded, and was about to thank them, when three poofs of smoke erupted, causing the old bridge builder to almost fall over again as Gai, Lee, and Tenten appeared, having shed their disguizes of a loving family. "wh-who the-?!" Tazuna pointed a shaky finger at the trio.

Kakashi snapped his book closed. "Let me introduce you to our comrades, this is one of the other jonin on the mission, Might Gai, along with two of his students, Rock Lee and Tenten. Guys, this is Tazuna, the bridge builder we protected a few years ago." He said, introducing them to one another.

"It is nice to meet you." Gai said as they all bowed to one another. "Kakashi, we've got a problem. While scouting the town we spotted a large group of Iwa nin who were obviously trying to hide their identity. It may be nothing, but there's just too large of a risk for us to dismiss them." He said.

Kakashi nodded. "I spotted a few myself, we'll need to approach this carefully, find their commander, and try to find out what's going on." He reasoned.

"Wait, what's going on?" Tazuna asked, looking confused.

Kakashi sighed. "It looks like there's a force of Iwa ninja that have infiltrated the town. we're definitly going to have to stay to keep an eye on them, and maybe fight them if needed. Don't worry Tazuna-san, everything will be fine, but I'm afraid we're going to need your home as a base of operations again." He replied.

Tazuna nodded, and was about to say something, when Shikamaru and Neji showed up. "We've got a troublesome problem guys." Shikamaru stated, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up.

"Let me guess, Iwa nin?" Kakashi asked, flipping his book back open.

"Yes." Neji replied while Shikamaru nodded. We ran into a sizable group of them, as well as who I believe was their leader, a large, heavily muscled man who identified me as a Hyuuga. I was able to cover though, and we wern't followed." He followed through with his report.

When Neji mentioned the man, Gai's eyes widened and Kakashi looked up with a shocked look on his face, snapping his book closed. "A large, heavily muscled man?! What did he look like? What was his name?!" Gai asked.

Shikamaru blew a long plume of smoke. "Well, he was about a half-head shorter than you Gai-sensei, and he introduced himself as Ryo Tensai, why?" He asked suspiciously.

Gai sighed with relief as Kakashi opened his book again. "There's a certain ninja from Iwa who became almost as infamous as the Fourth Hokage was during the thrid great war. He was huge, a monster of a man, with a natural strength that is said to surpass even Lady Tsunade's legendary prowess. Back during that war, when I was still a genin, I and my team ran into him, and he defeated all of us soundly without even taking a scratch, and he's also the only man to have ever been known to have fought with the Fourth during that war and survived, taking a Rasengan to chest that almost killed him, but he refused to fall, protecting his comrades, who were near dead. The Fourth spared him for his valor and we went on to win, but that man is still regarded as a legend and an S ranked ninja. Where I have been Konoha's number one taijutsu expert for a little over ten years now, He's held a similar title in Iwa for close to thirty. If it was he who was here leading the other ninja, then things would be a lot harder, he's a vetran with more experience than almost any ninja alive." He explained.

All of the others stood there, looking at Gai with looks of disbelief on their faces, who in the world could be strong enough to get that kind of reaction from both Gai-sensei AND Kakashi-sensei?! "Gai-sensei, what was the name of that man?" Sakura asked, surprized that there was anyone who was stronger than her master Tsunade.

Gai looked out across the lake. "That man's name is Genbu Hikari, otherwise known as the Iwa Mountain, the man who has never been knocked down." He said gravely.

* * *

At the Naruto Ramen Stand, both Naruto and his new friend got up, their bellies stuffed with ramen as they sighed with content. "Heh, it was nice ta meet'cha, it's always good to run into another ramen lover." Naruto said with a grin as he reached up.

The large man returned the grin and reached down, shaking Naruto's hand firmly. "That it was Uzumaki-kun. I hope you and your friends enjoy your vacation, and I hope we can have ramen together again before you have to leave, you are excellent company." He replied.

Naruto laughed. "Sure thing! Sorry, but I've gotta run, see ya!" He exlaimed, taking off. Realizing something, the young blond skidded to a halt as he whirled around, spotting the back of his large friend. "Hey, I never got your name!" He called out.

The large man turned, a small look of surprize on his face before he grinned at Naruto. "My name's Genbu! Genbu Hikari!" He replied with a friendly wave before continuing on his journey.

Naruto turned around as well. "Genbu Hikari huh? He seems like a pretty awsome guy." Naruto said to himself with a grin as he took off towards Tazuna's.

**-End-**

A/N- Well, how was the chapter?!

Anyway, here's the contest- a challenge to write a Dragonball/Harry Potter crossover where Harry dies during childbirth, then, soon after, baby Goku's space-pod lands in the Potter's back yard, almost as a gift from God.

the story can go any way you please, and it can be comedy, drama, action, etc.

You'll be graded on spelling, length (chapter length for multi-chapter stories, overall length for one-shots), description, and how well it's written.

The winner will get to create an original character for this story, though broken characters will be asked to be remade. Your character can be of any type of either the Bleach or Naruto universe, and will be put in accordingly.

Please submit the name of your story to me in a PM, and it will be judged by myself and a panel of hand-selected judges.

The contest will last until August 25th, though it doesn't matter if your story is complete or not.

If ya wanna enter, cool! I'm looking forward to it!

-Ranmawho1


	17. Chapter 16, Friend or Foe?

A/N- XD Thanks to everyone who enjoyed the last chapter! I'm sorry this has taken so long, but I've been havin' a lotta problems with my home life recently, including my mom's being diagnosed with breast cancer and having to go through surgery and do radiation treatments.

Anyway, The contest has ended as of August 25th (XD Almost a full month ago...), and I was slightly disappointed to see that there were no takers. That's all right though! I still love you all!

On another note, I've started a Yahoo group that I will be constantly updating with new information on how much I've completed on new chapters of my stories, and where the stories themselves can be discussed, etc. For the address, please visit my profile.

**Chapter 16, Friend or Foe?**

It was close to midday when Genbu got back to the Iwa base camp, walking at a steady, easy pace, carrying himself with the upmost supreme confidence as he approached the small abandoned shack that served as their headquarters. It was a beautiful place, he thought to himself, sitting on a small grassy meadow that was fairly close to a small, burbling creek and open enough to where any approach would be noted immediately by the guards.

As if on cue, several Iwa chunin and one jonin dropped down around Genbu, cutting off all escape. "Identify yourself!" The jonin barked.

Genbu sighed, but was inwardly pleased at the alretness of his troops, if they hadn't had stopped him, he would have punished them all for being so lax. It was all too easy to sneak into an enemy camp with the proper disguize after all. "I'm Genbu Hikari, jonin of Iwakagure and your platoon commander for this mission. Now stand down, or I'll crush your head like an overripe melon." He growled.

The jonin shook his head. "Not until I am certain." He replied, placing one hand on Genbu's chest. "Kai!" The jonin shouted, attempting to dispel any possible illusions. When nothing happened, he pulled his hand fron Genbu's chest and bowed deeply. "I am sorry captain, but with the sudden appearance of Konohakagure ninja, we cannot be too cautious." He apologized as all of the other ninja, ten in all, bowed as well.

Genbu let out a deep belly laugh, reaching down to clap the jonin on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, though that is how you should be every time, not just when rival ninja are known to be in the area." He chided.

The jonin bowed his head. "Yes sir." He said.

"Alright, get back to your posts." Genbu ordered, snapping his fingers, all of the ninja disappearing back to their posts as the giant walked up to the shack, pushing the door open and ducking down to step inside. Scanning the room, Genbu's eyes locked almost immediately on his apprentice, Ryo, who was pouring over maps of Wave on a small, rickety table. "There are Konoha ninja in town." Genbu remarked.

Ryo didn't even bother to look up, having already sensed his masters presence. "Yeah, I ran into a few, and one of the men reported that Copy-Ninja Kakashi is a part of the group as well. By all reports, it looks like we'll be dealing with about five of the Konoha scum. I've been pouring over the maps, trying to find the most likely spot they'd be so that we can catch them by surprize and kill 'em before they can throw a monkey wrench into our plans." He said.

Genbu walked over to his apprentice, an annoyed look on his face as he cocked his fist back and bonked the smaller man over the back of the head.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR YOU SENILE FOOL?!" Ryo cried out, crouching down as he grabbed his now-aching head.

Genbu siged, rubbing his temples. "This is exactly why you wern't allowed to lead this mission. You know the protocols set down after the last great war state that we cannot do that any longer. As per the agreement between the great nations, I've got to meet with their squad leader to discuss negotiations first and see if there will be any intereference between our missions." He replied.

Ryo got up, glaring at the back wall of the shack. "Yeah yeah, whatever." He snorted, earning him another bonk on the head.

* * *

Over two dozen yards away, high in a tree, Sai's eyes narrowed as he scoped the Iwa base, taking note of the numbers and the layout before leaping away, speeding towards Tazuna's house to report his findings.

* * *

Naruto sighed happily, patting his full stomach as he strolled through the town on his way to Tazuna's house, humming as he walked along. Looking around, he saw more buildings that carried his, Sakura's, Kakashi's, and even Sasuke's names or symbols. 'Whoa, they've really taken this a long way." He thought, somewhat uncomfortable with all of the publicity.

"Naruto!"

The whiskered blond, surprized by the sudden call, stopped in his tracks and looked around, spotting Sai emerging from a darkened alley. "Hey Sai, what's up? I thought we agreed to meet up later!" Naruto exlaimed, squinting his eyes as he stared at his teammate.

Sai nodded, stopping in front of Naruto. "Yes, but I saw you walking and decided it be best to report to you now." He said, his voice low and his lips barely moving.

Naruto looked into Sai's eyes, his eyebrows raising. "What's up? Did ya find something?" He asked.

Sai's eyes darted back and forth, looking for anyone that might be listening in. "Yeah, a camp full of Iwa ninja based in a small shack a mile out of town in a small secluded area. I also spotted several more in town, totalling of around fourty, possibly more since I didn't explore the entire town. They're here for a reason, and it can't be a good one since there are so many, especially since there are so few of us. What are your orders?" He asked.

Naruto rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Hey sai, your paintings can touch stuff, right?" He asked, his eyes lighting up with an idea.

"Yes, why?" Sai asked, his curiosity piqued.

Naruto grinned. "Is there any way you could write a letter to Baa-I mean, the Hokage, telling her what you've discovered, and have an ink drawing of a hawk carry it to her or somethin'?" He asked.

Sai nodded, catching on. "yes, I could. Would you like me to when we get to the others?" He asked.

Naruto thought on a second, then shook his head. "No, the sooner we get this info to her the better. Write a quick letter to her tellin' her what's goin' on and stuff, that she might need to get a backup team ready, and that we'll send her another report shortly. Go into the alley to write the letter and send it, and I'll keep a lookout out here." He ordered.

"Hai." Sai saluted, going back into the alley while Naruto leaned against the front of one of the buildings, an arts and crafts store, casually scanning the area for any signs of suspicious characters. within a few minutes, the blond heard a caw and the flutter of wings, and looked up to see an ink crow flying away to Konoha, a scroll clutched tightly in it's talons. Sai walked back out, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder, and with a silent nod, the two of them took off, walking at a casual pace as to not draw attention as they made their way to Tazuna's house.

* * *

"So... Where's Sasuke?"

The unexpected question startled Sakura, causing her to jump a little and almost drop the medical scroll that she'd been pouring over onto the kitchen table. "Excuse me?" She asked politely, looking up at the serene Tsunami, who was busy doing dishes.

Tsunami smiled at Sakura. "Where is Sasuke? That boy that you had a crush on? He was a part of your team wasn't he?" She asked.

Sakura nodded, setting down her scroll with a sad sigh. "Yeah... Sasuke was a member of our team, but only a few months after we left here, he betrayed the village and joined one of our greatest enemies, a missing-nin named Orochimaru. Three years went by, and Sasuke eventually betrayed Orochimaru, killing him, and then he joined another organization called Akatsuki after killing his older brother, who'd been a member of the same organization. He tried to betray them and defect back to Konoha, but the group he was with almost killed him, leaving him in a coma, which is his current position at Konoha Hospital..." She told the older woman quietly, her voice laced with sadness.

Putting down the plate and dishtowel she had in her hands, Tsunami rushed over to Sakura, pulling the distraught girl up into a hug "Shhh, it's ok to cry, just let it all out sweetie." She cooed, stroking the smaller girl's back as Sakura shook, tears threatening to fall.

"Bu-but... Shinobi ar-arn't supposed tuh-to cry..." Sakura whimpered, hiccuping a few times.

Tsunami chuckled a little, rubbing small circles on Sakura's back. "You shinobi are just silly, every girl needs a good cry every now and again, especially when she's feeling overwhelmed. It's ok to let go Sakura, and I promise I won't tell anyone." She promised.

Sakura sniffed a few times, then, unable to hold it in any longer, began to cry openly, dampening the shoulder of Tsunami's blouse with her tears.

* * *

Naruto and Sai were making good time, having ony been hassled by villagers a few more times before they got out of town, and now they were within sight of Tazuna's house and the lake that it sat by. "Hey, there it is! That's where we stayed when we saved Wave!" Naruto exlaimed excitedly, pointing.

"I see." Sai replied with a smile. "You know... You can come out now." He said out loud, still smiling.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, scratching his head, looking confusedly at his teammate. "Uhhh... What're you talkin' about Sai? Come out? Come outta what?" Naruto thought on it for a second, then it seemed to dawn on him as he backed up a few steps, his jaw falling open in a comical fashion as he pointed an accusing finger at Sai ""You think I'm GAY?! Nu-uh no way buddy! You can just go after somebody that swings that way, you bun-hunting butt-pirate!" He yelled, waving his hands in a shooing motion.

"What the heck are you talking about Naruto? I swear, all blonds are troublesome..." Came the grumbling voice of Shikamaru from just behind Naruto right as the former jinkuuri was bopped on the head.

"OW! What the hell?!"" Naruto cursed, holding his head as he whirled around, coming face-to-face with Shikamaru and a smirking Neji "What the heck are you guys doing, sneakin' up on us like that?! We coulda killed you on reflex!" The blond yelled, pointing at the duo, who sweatdropped.

"Really Naruto? Then why didn't you notice us following you two minutes ago? Eh, Mr. Butt-pirate?" Neji asked as he arched an eyebrow, barely able to contain his laughter.

"Hey, it was Sai that was hittin' on me! He was all like "You can come out now." and stuff! Man, I knew there was somethin' funny about you when you first started talkin' about my penis!" Naruto yelled accusingly, pointing at Sai again.

Shikamaru sighed and reached over, fwapping Naruto over the back of the head again. "Don't be a dunce, 'leader'. Sai wasn't hitting on you, he was mearly telling us to come out of hiding, because he, unlike a certain troublesome blond, probably sensed us the instant we started trailing you, right?" He asked, looking up at Sai, who simply smiled.

"So... Sai wasn't hitting on me?" Naruto asked, blinking.

Shikamaru sighed again, pulling out a pack of cigarettes while Neji chuckled, the two of them walking back towards Tazuna's house, Sai right beside them. "You know, Naruto..." Sai called out, looking over his shoulder. "... Even if I was gay, I'm sure I could do much better than you!" He exlaimed with that same infuriatingly serene smile.

This of course, caused Naruto to face-fault and Neji and Shikamaru to burst out laughing as they walked. "Hey, that wasn't funny you guys! Guys? Guys, wait up!" Naruto cried out, jumping to his feet and running after the trio.

* * *

Kakashi, Gai, and Tazuna were pouring over some maps of Wave that Tazuna managed to find stashed away in his study, Kakashi and Gai marking it with pencils as they dicussed details in low tones when suddenly, the door opened and Naruto walked in, Shikamaru, Neji, and Sai following close behind. "We've got an Iwa ninja problem!" Naruto called out loudly, causing both jonin to wince slightly at the tone.

"Yes yes, we know. We estimate that there may be about fifteen of them." Gai replied in an unsually serious tone, looking up from the maps.

Naruto shook his head vigorously. "Nu-uh! There are WAY more than that! Sai's already reported to me on what he found, and we've sent a message to Baa-I mean, the Hokage, saying that she needs to get a back-up team ready, and that we'd be sending another report soon!" He countered.

Kakashi looked up, interested. "More you say? what did you find Sai?" He asked.

Sai bowed his head. "After I made landfall, I was scouting the outer paremater of the island, as ordered, when I happened across a base-camp made up completely of Iwa shinobi, centered around a small shack. All told, including the ones that you saw, that would make at least fifty Iwa shinobi total, if not more." He reported with a salute.

"I see... That was good thinking, sending a message to Lady Tsunade, that was a good call Naruto." Gai said proudly, giving the blond a thumbs-up.

"So... Fifty nin huh? This is bad. There's little doubt that Wave is their target, but why?" Kakashi asked no one in particular, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Surely the Gato company didn't hire them as well, did they?" Tazuna asked, looking worried.

"That's a possibility." Shikamaru spoke up. "Though that was a risky venture on their part. Hiring different villages to work on the same mission? It's absurd, but it seems the most likely scenario at this point." He concluded.

"Heeeey... Where's everyone else?" Naruto asked, looking around.

"Lee and Tenten are out setting some traps right now, and Sakura's reviewing some of her medical texts. Don't worry, we'll fill them in when they're finished." Kakashi replied with a casual wave. "So, it looks like we're going to have to follow the protocols set down by the Five Nations after the last war, and you, Naruto, will have to meet with the Iwa shinobi commander since you are our leader and our missions are crossing one another on neutral territory." He said, opening a flap on his vest and pulling a scroll from it, tossing it to Naruto.

Naruto looked down confusedly as he opened the scroll and scanned it's contents, the sheer amount of legal jargon on the paper making the poor boy's head spin. "Uhhh... What are you talking about Kakashi-sensei?" He asked, rolling the scroll back up.

Kakashi smiled, though the only visible indication of it was the way his uncovered eye closed and slanted upwards. "Just think of this as part of your Hokage training Naruto. Not everything can be immediately solved through violence. All of the ninja that you've faced up until now have been either missing nin, or those that you faced in your chuunin exams all those years ago. Before you were even born, when the last great war ended, the five Kages got together, along with the lords of the various countries, and they came up with a lasting peace treaty that all must abide by. As a part of the treaty, this contract was made, and all jonin are required to carry at least one copy. It states that if any two ninja parties from different villages meet in neutral territory, and they have missions that possible collide with one another, the leaders are to first meet and discuss wether or not they can work around one another, or, if not, then they are supposed to sign that contract, absolving both parties and their respective villages of any responsibility for whatever may occur during a confrentation." He explained.

"So... It's basically saying that we're ok to fight, and our villages won't get in trouble for it?" Naruto asked, squinting as he crossed his arms.

Kakashi eye-smiled again. "Bingo! We don't want another needless war to pop up over something like a genin accidentally killing another one or some other silly thing after all." He replied, pleased that his student grasped the concept of what he was trying to explain.

Naruto nodded. "Alright, so when and where are we gonna meet these guys?"

Kakashi patted Naruto on the shoulder. "That Naruto, is partially up to you, since your the leader. Though I daresay that the best place would be in the town." The older jonin suggested.

"Hey guys wouldn't that put the town in danger? You're trying to avoid that, right?" Tazuna asked, looking confused.

Gai nodded, stepping up. "That is true Tazuna-san, but there is always the chance that the Iwa ninja arn't going to harm the townspeople, and even if that is their objective, then if we are in the town, then we will be right there to protect the people, whereas if we were to meet them somewhere else, they may split their forces and do some major damage to the town before we could get there to stop them." He explained.

That seemed to shock Tazuna into silence as he looked down at the clay jug in his hand and let out a morose sigh. "Are things really that bad?" The old man asked weakly, sitting down in a chair.

A hand on Tazuna's shoulder caused him to look up into the smiling face of Naruto. "Don't worry old man! I'm here, and no amount of enemies can beat me old man, you should know that by now!" He laughed, patting Tazuna's shoulder a few times.

The bridge-builder couldn't help but chuckle at Naruto's antics, the tension leaving him a little. "Yeah, I guess your right Naruto. You are still a short brat though!" He exlaimed, guffawing at the put-out look on the blonde's face.

"Yeah, I'll remember that the next time you need help, ya old fart." Naruto grumbled, just before he heard the door sliding open behind him, causing Naruto to turn as all of a sudden, a dark blur slammed into the former jinkuuri, knocking Naruto down with an audible 'omph'as he felt himself embraced in a firm hug. "Neh, what the- Inari-kun?!"He asked confusedly, looking down at the bucket hat that filled his vision.

"Naruto-nii-san, it is you!" Inari exlaimed, letting go of Naruto and jumping up. "So, what are you doing here nii-san?! Did'ja come back ta visit us like you promised?!" The boy asked excitedly.

Naruto laughed as he got to his feet, swiping Inari's hat off of his head so that he could toussle the smaller boy's hair. "We're here on a mission, but seeing you again is definitly a good bonous! So how've ya been Inari-kun? I see that you've been working hard." He said good naturedly, and indeed, the boy was noticably taller than what he used to be, being a couple of inches taller than Naruto had been when they'd helped Tazuna and the people of Wave against Gato. The boy also had a noticable tan, intoning that he'd been working outside a lot. Other than that, he looked exactly the same as Naruto remembered him.

Inari smiled as he grabbed his hat back, planting it firmly back on his head. "You bet nii-san! Mom wasn't too keen on the idea, but grandpa was all for me picking up a trade, so I'm working for one of the local blacksmiths now! It's not been easy, but the boss is finally started teachin' me how ta use the hammers correctly, and I've started to get really strong from it! I'm probably even stronger than you by now!" He exlaimed, pumping his arms.

Naruto whistled, bending forward slightly as he squeezed Inari's left bicep, which actually was unusually well-developed for an eleven-year old. "Heh, you keep up with that Inari-kun, and you'll have ta be beating the ladies off with a stick in no time!" He said with a wide grin, ribbing the boy.

A sudden blush spread across Inari's face as he looked down at the floor, pushing his forefingers together in a way that Naruto found oddly familiar. "Well, um, ah..." Inari stuttered.

"What's up bozu? You got a secret your hidin' from me?" Naruto asked, squinting his eyes at the boy.

Tazuna, who'd been trying to hold it in, suddenly burst out laughing. "I doubt that there will be any girls aggresivly chasing after Inari-kun Naruto, his girlfriend has already chased 'em all off!" The old man guffawed.

Naruto's surprize was evident as his eyebrows shot up and he looked at Tazuna, a shocked look on his face. "The bozu's already got a girlfriend?!" He asked, surprized.

Tazuna chuckled as Inari started to look like he wanted to disappear into the floor. "You bet! And she's a real fire-cracker too! SHe can be a real sweet girl, but she's got a notoriously short fuse, and when her temper gets set off, she blows up big time!" He chuckled, taking a sip of his sake.

A large grin spread across Naruto's face. "So Inari-bozu, what's her name?" he asked.

If at all possible, Inari's blush seemed to deepen even further. "Ma-Madoka..." He mumbled.

Naruto laughed again, patting Inari on the back as Kakashi walked over, draping an arm across the boy's shoulders, his eye turning up as he smiled at him and reached into his waist pouch with his free hand. "So you've got a girlfriend Inari? Have you had the birds and the bees talk yet? If you need some reference material, I've go-" The jonin was never able to finish the sentence as a huge killer intent erupted from just behind him, and he was bopped over the head by a large, rolled up scroll.

Sakura, who'd just stepped into the room, glared at her sensei as she palmed her medical scroll. "Kakashi-sensei! How dare you try and corrupt Inari-kun with that smut!" She scolded, bopping Kakashi on the head a few more times for good measure. "He's an innocent young child, and you try and pull something like that?! Baka!" She shouted before turning a murderous glare on the others. "None of you are gonna try anything stupid like that, are you?" She asked in a falsly sweet voice that promised excruciating pain for anyone that dared to answer in a way that didn't please her.

Naruto and Tazuna, terrified, ran to a corner and huddled there, Gai frowned a bit, Sai and Neji seemed only slightly put out, and Shikamaru sighed in disgust while Kakashi rubbed his sore head. "No Sakura, we're not gonna do anything like that. Kakashi-sensei was just trying to have some fun, right?" The lazy genius asked, shooting a glance at Kakashi.

"R-right! It was all just fun and games!" Kakashi exlaimed weakly, backing up as he waved his hands in front of himself in an attempt to ward the irate kunoichi off.

Sakura huffed, shooting one last glare at Kakashi before turning to Inari, a smile appearing on her face. "So, I overheard the conversation about your girlfriend Inari, that's nice! Why don't we take a walk and you can tell me all about her, without any stupid commentary from dirty old men." She said sweetly.

Inari, a little frightened by the way Sakura had been only seconds earlier nodded mutely and followed behind her as she walked out the door.

"Heh heh, I guess that Inari's girlfriend isn't the only fiesty girl around here, huh?" Tazuna asked, chuckling nervously.

Naruto gulped. "sa-Sakura can st-still be scaary wh-when she wants to be." He replied, trembling.

Feh, you guys are just a couple of cowards." Shikamaru grumbled, eyeing the pair.

Suddenly, the door opened up again, revealing Tsunami standing there, an evil glint in her eye as she smacked a rolling pin in the palm of her hand. "I heard that some people in here were teasing and trying to corrupt my baby. I'm going to have to physically teach you the error of your ways." She said in a cold voice as she grinned evilly.

Kakashi began to sweat profusely and back up as he stammered incoherantly.

Naruto and Tazuna on the other hand, screamed girlishly and clutched at each other in mortal terror at the terrifying visage of a mother scorned started to march into the room.

* * *

Outside, Sakura giggled when she heard the scream, smiling as Inari talked about his girlfriend.

* * *

The next day dawned upon a heavy mist that seemed to blanket the entire island, providing excellent covor for any shinobi in the area as theKonoha team, already up and prepared, made their way to town. The mist was thick and oppressive, cutting everyone, save Neji's, vision down to just a handfull of feet.

"Man, talk about major dejavu..." Naruto grumbled, a little uncomfortable as they marched along.

Shikamaru snorted. "I'm surprized you even know what dejavu means Naruto." He replied, getting a few chuckles from the others.

Naruto shot his lazy friend a sour look. "The last time we were here, we had to fight Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, and he happened to like to make the battlefield look kinda like this Shika. That was the first time that I'd ever seen someone die... And that was the battle that helped me define my nindo..." He said quietly, remembering the hard battles against Zabuza and Haku.

Kakashi smiled, patting Naruto on the shoulder as they walked. "Yes, that was a defining moment for you, and it helped you and the others mature a bit Naruto, you all made me proud." He said.

Naruto cut his gaze towards his sensei and couldn't help but let slip a small, sad smile.

* * *

The rest of the journey was made in silence, and in no time, the Konoha group found themselves at the outskirts of the town, which seemed unusually quiet, even though it was still early in the morning. "Kakashi." Gai whispered under his breath, grabbing his best friend and eternal rival by the elbow, signalling with his eyes.

Kakashi nodded his head, motioning that he sensed it as well. Bending forward, he tapped Naruto on the shoulder. "We're surrounded." He said quietly.

"I know." Naruto answered, not bothering to turn his head. Soon enough, they made their way to the town square, where they found a table sitting under a tree, a pair of pens, two cups, and a sake jug sitting on it, with a chair on either side. More noticable was the twenty Iwa shinobi standing a dozen yards away in rank formation, headed by the large man that Neji and Shikamaru had met the day previous, Ryo Tensai.

Kakashi stepped forward. "Right, we're here now. Are you the jonin squad leader?" He asked the large young man.

"Why no, that would be me."

That voice made Kakashi's blood chill a little as the Cycloptic jonin turned towards a squat, nearby building. The front step heavily overshadowed, hidden in complete darkness. "So, it seems that you are here after all. I was worried that this might be too easy." He said with a smile, peering into the shadows.

A huge, meaty hand reached out from the darkness, grabbing the top of the doorframe as a huge, crouching figure stepped through into the morning light, revealing Genbu to the entire Konoha group as he straightened up, an Iwa protector tied around his waist, glistening in the dull sunlight that managed to filter through.

This shocked Naruto, whose eyes went wide before narrowing to slits as he glared at the Iwa insignia on Genbu's belt. "Genbu?! What the heck? Are you an Iwa Ninja?!" He asked, practically growling.

Genbu looked at Naruto, a feigned look of surprize on his face. "Naruto-kun? What are you doing here? I thought you was on vacation!" He exlaimed.

Gai frowned as he looked between Naruto and Genbu. "Naruto-kun, do you know Genbu-san?" He asked in a low tone.

Naruto nodded slowly, glaring daggers at the giant. "Yeah, we met yesterday at the ramen shop." He replied sourly. 'What the Hell Genbu? Were you tryin' ta deceive me yesterday or something? I thought we were friends!" The whiskered blond exlaimed angrily, pointing an accusing finger at Genbu.

Genbu's grey eyebrows rose considerably as he turned a shrewd eye on Naruto. "If I remember correctly Naruto-kun, you never asked me my profession, so I never deceived you about anything. If anyone is at fault here, it would be you, considering that you lied to me, telling me that you were on vacation." He replied befor sighing theatrically, shrugging his shoulders as he strode forward. "However, we are shinobi, and it is in our nature to deceive, so I forgive you, my young friend." He said, flashing a wide smile as he stopped at the table. "Now then..." He reached up, unclasping one of the pockets on his vest, removing a rolled up scroll. "Shall we begin Kakashi?" He asked lightly, laying the scroll down on the table.

Kakashi eye-smiled again, taking a few steps back until he was just behind Naruto. "Actually Genbu-san, I'm not the mission leader. That honor belongs to Naruto here." He said, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, this is what I talked to you about. As mission leader, it's your job to talk to the other leader, and negotiate if need be. The floor is yours now." He said in a low tone.

Naruto nodded mutely, and began walking towards the table where Genbu stood, who now had a genuine look of surprize on his face. The large man began to smile, and was about to say something, when a voice cut in from behind him. "Feh, look at that short punk. He's the leader? I could snap him like a twig in five seconds flat, then wipe out that entire team without even breaking a sweat." Ryo remarked snidely to one of the Iwa jonin standing in rank.

Genbu's face became a cold, unreadable mask and Naruto stopped in his tracks. "Ryo!" The old jonin barked.

"Hai, sensei!" Ryo snapped to attention.

Genbu didn't even bother to turn around. "I cannot believe that you would be so disrespectful. As my deciple, I expect better from you when we are dealing in peace talks. I expect that all of these Konoha ninja are at least competent, and both Gai and Kakashi are well respected jonin who are far and above your level, and would most assuredly kill you without even so much as a second thought, and if you cannot tell that Naruto here is dangerous, there is something wrong with you, for people arn't chosen to be mission leaders for no reason. You are indeed strong, but you should know your place, so when we get back to Iwakagure, if we both survive this, you shall be punished for your insolence. Now, keep your fool mouth shut, or I'll make sure to shut it for you, understand?" He asked, his voice brooking no argument as he shot a glare at his apprentice.

Under the glare of his sensei, Ryo could only nod mutely and hang his head slightly in shame.

Genbu turned his head back to Naruto, who'd resumed walking, and smiled at the boy. "All right then! Now that that's over, shall we get underway Naruto-kun? Please, have a seat and we can begin." He said jovially, waving his hand toward the seat closest to Naruto as he sat down in the other.

Naruto nodded, sitting down across from the larger man. "So, why are you here with such a large force Genbu? Surely your not here for the warm hospitality?" The former jinkuuri asked, a somewhat sharp edge to his voice.

Genbu chuckled. "I was just about to ask you that same question Naruto-kun. What brings you here with a force of Konoha-nin?" He asked, resting his elbows on the table as he steepled his fingers in front of his face.

Naruto nodded. "Well, we received an assassination request recently from the Gato company, who wanted a Konoha nin to assassinate the bridge-builder Tazuna, whose bridge was important in freeing the country from the company's clutches. It was also Tazuna who hired a team of Konoha nin three years ago to protect him which ultimatly lead to the death of Gato himself. Our Hokage naturally turned the mission down, seeing that Konoha and Wave have struck up some pretty good trade routes, so she assigned us a mission to come to Wave to assess the safety of the town and see if Konoha needs to set up a defensive post here to protect those trade routes." he answered in such a calm and formal manner that it surprized everyone that knew him.

Genbu whistled, fingering the scroll he'd pulled from his vest. "Well now, that is interesting. The Gato company hired us to take over Wave and hand it over to them, and I do believe that they expressed that they didn't care if we razed the town to the ground and killed all of the inhabitants either. I'll have to inform my Kage of this turn of events, as it's frowned upon for anyone or any company to hire ninja from multiple villages at the same time." He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "It seems that, as I feared, we've got overlappimg missions that interfere with one another Naruto-kun. Is there any way that I can convince you to withdraw your team and let us complete our mission unmolested?" The large jonin asked.

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. Sorry, but we were assigned to protect these people, and that's just what we'll do. Is there any chance that I can convince you to pull your guys out Genbu? The people of Wave are just a bunch of innocent civilians without so much as even a samurai, they arn't a threat to anyone." He countered.

Genbu shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but my orders were absolute. How about this; It's obvious that we are going to have to fight to see who completes their mission, but I've thought of some terms that hopefully you will agree to- Regardless of the outcome, we won't unduely harm the citizens of Wave and keep all collateral damages to a minimum. Does that agreeable to you?" Genbu asked, his eyebrows raising again.

Naruto seemed deep in thought, squinting at the large man as he crossed his arms. "Yeah, that's fine by me." The whiskered blond finally replied, pulling out his own scroll and unfurling it on the table, picking up one of the pens.

Genbu reached inside of his vest, causing the Konoha team to tense slightly, then relax as the giant pulled out a small pair of wire-frame glasses and place them on his face, looking almost comical as he opened his own scroll and looked down at it, filling out the mission details as well as the agreements that they'd made before signing on one of the dotted lines, passing the parchment over to Naruto, who'd done the same with his own scroll. With a nod, the two signed their names and their village names on each others scrolls before passing them back to their respective owners.

Genbu glanced over the contract again before nodding, seeminly satisfied. "Alright, so we've come to an agreement Naruto-kun. Can I offer you a cup of sake before we begin?" The large man asked, rolling up the scroll and storing it away along with his glasses.

Naruto stole a glance at the sake bottle before locking gazes with Genbu again. "Yeah, that'll be fine. Here, let me pour." He offered, taking the bottle and pouring some of the liquid into each of the saucers.

Genbu looked surprized, then broke out into laughter again. "Such manners! I can see why you were chosen as mission leader Naruto-kun. I must say, if you were an Iwa shinobi, I'd gladly make you my deciple." He said with a smile, raising his cup.

Naruto returned the smile, raising his own. "Yeah, but if it wasn't for my home, I wouldn't be the person I am today. Things may have never been easy, but I wouldn't trade my village or my precious people for anything.

Genbu nodded. "Right then! A toast, to new rivalries and new friendships. May we and our villages prosper!" He exlaimed loudly, both he and Naruto downing the sake before laying the cups back down. With a satisfied sigh, Genbu looked down at his small counter-part. "Now then Naruto, one last thing before we begin. I've noticed that you've had us surrounded for quite some time with clones. Tell me, are they real shadow clones? If they are, that's impressive, but I must ask for you to dispell them. They do give you an unfair advantage, don't they?" Genbu asked lightly, observing the young blond with a shrewd eye.

Naruto didn't seem taken back at all as he nodded. "I suppose if I don't it would be bad for the villagers that you've already taken hostage, wouldn't it?" He returned.

Genbu chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "That's pretty sharp Naruto-kun, and your right. Though I'd rather not be given reason to order that they be hurt in any way. I would ask how you know, but with as many shadow clones as you've got, I'm not surprized that you found out. How many do you have anyway? one hundred? A hundred and twenty?"

Naruto shook his head. "Close, a hundred and fifty. I figured I'd need to outnumber your guys by at least roughly three to one in case things got ugly and I needed ta stop ya quickly." He replied, his chakra flaring a little and his eyes flashing to silver before turning back in less than a second. "There, they're gone." He said.

Genbu's eyes narrowed the slightest bit. Alright then, shall we start?" He asked.

Naruto nodded, then, in an explosion of motion, he kicked up, knocking the table into the giant's face before Genbu even had a chance to stand. Naruto jumped up to follow through as motion exploded all around, the clash of metal on metal as the battle was joined and another twenty Iwa ninja appeared, leaping from the rooftops surrounding the Konoha group.

Naruto managed to get to a standing position as he felt a vice-like grip clamp around his ankle. Looking down, he saw Genbu's right hand locked onto his leg, and looking back up showed that Genbu had caught the table before it hit him. "That wasn't very nice Naruto-kun!" Genbu exlaimed, tossing the table over his shoulder as casually as one would a paper napkin.

"OH SHI-" Naruto had just enough time to know that he was in trouble, and start to respond with a punch, but it was already too late as Genbu shot up from his chair, his legs cocked in a semi-crouch as he issued forth a mighty roar and twisted around sharply, pulling Naruto from his feet and banging his head off of the back of his own chair as he whipped the blond around at break-neck speeds, releasing his grip on the blond's leg at the apex of the swing, slinging Naruto high and far, sending him flying through the air.

* * *

Hearing Naruto's strangled cry, Sakura looked just in time to see the blond flung bodily into the air as everyone else scattered, running through the village. "NARUTO!" She screamed, watching in horror as he flew higher and higher. Turning a furious glare on the man who was leading the Iwa forces, Genbu, she issued a low growl as she began to stalk towards him, pulling her gloves on, unmindful of any of the fighting around her.

Hearing someone scream Naruto's name, Genbu turned to see a pink-haired girl marching his way, her face set in fury. "Oh? I wonder if that is Sakura-chan. She certainly matches Naruto-kun's description of her. Why is she so angry? I didn't hurt Naruto-kun, I just threw him away." He mused to himself under his breath, cocking his head to the side, observing the kunoichi with a curious eye as she was surrounded by five of his chuunin. Didn't Naruto-kun say that she was a medic? If that was the case, then why was she right in the thick of things, looking like she was going to try her upmost to tear him limb from limb? Curious, he watched to see how she'd deal with the chuunin, who were no slouches in the combat department.

Looking annoyed, sakura didn't even bother to look around at the five Iwa shinobi that surrounded her, instaed keeping her gaze locked with Genbu's. "You scrubs had better get out of my way before I hurt you, it's your boss that I'm after." She said dangerously.

One of the chuunin, standing just to the left of the irate kunoichi, snorted. "And just what are you gonna do little girl? We're all experienced chuunin, and you look like your nothing more than a rank genin. Now run along before we paddle you, you weak little girl." He said with a sneer.

This time, Sakura did break her staring contest with Genbu as her left eyebrow started to tic angrily. "Excuse me? A weak little girl am I?" She asked in a falsly sweet voice that caused a shiver of dread to pass through the five chuunin. Had they made a mistake in challenging this girl? "I'LL SHOW YOU WEAK LITTLE GIRL YOU SEXIST PIG!" Sakura screamed angrily, slamming her right fist into the ground, forcing the chuunin to leap away as it exploded around her in huge, jagged shards of stone.

Genbu's eyes widened comically when he saw this. "What?! Are you the apprentice to The Lady Tsunade?!" He asked loudly enough for Sakura to hear.

"WHY DON'T YOU FND OUT FOR YOURSELF! HYAH!" Sakura screamed, slamming her left fist into one of the huge rocks that had been displaced by her last strike, turning the boulder into an impromteau missle on a collision course with the large man.

Genbu grinned wryly. "Yup, she's definitly Lady Tsunade's apprentice!" He exlaimed to himself, curling his right hand into a fist. With a grunt, he backhanded the boulder as it reached him, shattering the thing into so much rubble. Unsurprizedly, he saw the girl on the other side, running straight for him, one fist cocked back to deliver what would undoubtedly be a devestating blow that could level a building. "It's been a long time since I've tested myself against The Lady's strength, let's see if you can match up!" He exlaimed, taking a stance as he threw a left at Sakura.

"BRING IT ON!" Sakura yelled as she threw her own punch, releasing her chakra right as their fists connected. The resulting shockwave was surprizingly collosal, radiating out from the point of impact, cracking the Earth immediatly surrounding the two and shattering all the windows in the nearby buildings. With a cry, sakura stumbled back, clutching her arm tenderly, feeling several breaks in the bones.

Genbu stumbled back as well, his eyes wide with shock at the force behind Sakura's punch, shaking his now-numb hand vigorously in an attempt to return the feeling to it. "Most impressive Sakura-chan! I must say, you are most definitly stronger than The Lady Tsunade was when I met her all those years ago!" He exlaimed.

Sakura eyed the giant warily, feeling relief as she ran her other hand over her injured arm, healing the breaks. "How do you know who I am?" She asked.

Genbu smiled, gesturing in the direction he'd flung Naruto. "I met Naruto-kun yesterday at the ramen shop and we struck up a friendship. He speaks very highly of you and the rest of his precious people, considering you to be like a sister to him. You'll want to be careful, because his emotions are as fragile as spun glass, and you, or any of his other precious people saying the wrong thing to him could hurt him far worse than any physical wound." He replied.

"Why should you care?" Sakura shot back.

Genbu frowned for the first time since the fight began. "Now Sakura-chan, there's no need to be rude. Despite the fact that we are fighting due to conflicting missions, Naruto and I became friends yesterday, and I've been on friendly terms with both Gai and Kakashi for years since the end of the last war. Just because we are fighting doesn't mean that we can't be friends when we're not. Besides, it's refreshing to find someone as good-hearted and honest as Naruto-kun, these days it just seems like everyone is offering a flower with one hand while planning on stabbing you with the kunai they hold in the other." he replied.

Finished healing herself, Sakura took a ready stance. "Well, that's nice and all, but don't think that I'll take it easy on you." She said, her eyes narrowing.

genbu held up his hands in a placating manner. "Now now Sakura-chan, your a medical shinobi, and I'm a combat oriented shinobi specialized in taijutsu, and you saw what happened in our last exchange. I'd rather not fight you, as you are far more important to the well-being of others, and I would like it if you would be willing to heal any of my men who are hurt after the battle is over, regardless of who wins." He replied with a grin.

Sakura flustered. "WHY YO-" she started to yell, only to be cut off when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking behind her, she saw Kakashi and Gai standing there, Kakashi having been the one to touch her shoulder. "Sensei?" The young kunoichi asked uncertainly.

Kakashi smiled down at his student in his normal fashion. "He's actually right Sakura, you're far too important to us to risk against someone like him. I hate to say it, but Genbu here is a bit too much for you to take, so please let me and Gai handle him. I want you to help the others anyway, your strength will be useful since we're so overwhelmed." He said.

Sakura shot a glance back at Genbu, then looked back up at Kakashi. "All right sensei. Just be careful, he's insanely strong. He managed to break my arm with one hit." She warned, seeming reluctant to leave.

Kakashi nodded. "I know." He said lightly. "We saw your exchange."

With a nod, Sakura leapt up onto a roof and sped off.

* * *

Cursing under his breath, Naruto opened his eyes, watching a rapdily distancing Sakura charge at Genbu, buildings flying by far underneath him as he rubbed his aching head. _"How strong is he?! That's crazy!"_ the blond thought to himself, estimating that he was at least a good hundred feet in the air and still going higher. when he finally reached the apex of his flight, Naruto heard a strange screeching sound as something snagged him by the seat of his pants. Looking back, Naruto saw a large ink hawk clutching him in it's talons as it glided back to the ground, disappearing and dropping him the last ten feet down between a pair of single story buildings. Naruto fell into a crouch to absorb the impact.

"Naruto!"

Naruto, who was standing up, looked over to see Sai running towards him. "Hey, Sai! Thanks for the save!" The blond called out gratefully as Sai reached him.

Sai dipped his head slightly. "It wasn't a problem." He replied. "What are your orders sir?"

Naruto squinted and cocked his head to the side as he studied Sai to see if he was making fun of him. "Well... considering that we're outnumbered badly, my first thought would be for you to help out here, but I'm really worried about the villagers, so I want you to go and find them, and if they're not too heavily gaurded, I want ya to take out the ninja watching over them, though try not ta kill 'em if you can help it. After that, I want you to send another letter to the Hokage and tell her that we've already had to engage the enemy." He said.

Sai nodded. "Hai." And with that, the mysterious young ANBU ROOT disappeared in a swirl of ink.

Watching the ink dissipate, Naruto nodded to himself. Things were looking bad, but they could be a lot worse. A loud crash alerted the genin squad leader as his instincts screamed at him to duck, which he did, hitting all fours and twirling around just as a dozen kunai passed by overhead, the lowest one brushing through his hair. With a growl, Naruto looked up, seeing Genbu's deciple Ryo standing in the street that connected to the alley he was in, flanked by two Iwa shinobi who looked like they might be jonin.

Ryo smirked. "Heh, so I see that you're already on your hands and knees, bowing to me. I knew you were just a bitch when I first laid eyes on you. A squad leader? You're nothing but a joke, you and the rest of the rest of your village full of pacifist weaklings!" He exlaimed, pointing an angry finger at Naruto.

Naruto grit his teeth angrily, his pronounced canines showing as heopened his mouth, issuing a low, guttural growl. You wanna talk bad about MY village? You better be ready, because I'm gonna beat the shit outta you!"He yelled angrily, balancing on the balls of his feet as he started to hunch over, his fingers curling into claws.

Just as Naruto was getting ready to pounce on the arrogantly smirking Ryo and the other two Iwa ninja, A dark blur shot between them, smashing into Ryo, sending the heavily muscled man careening into a wall as the figure that appeared landed beside Naruto, revealing himself to be Lee. "Ryo! Being the student of my master Gai, I challange you, as the student of the taijutsu master of another village, to a taijutsu match to prove who is the better!" Lee exlaimed loudly, his large eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"I can take 'em Lee, you go and help the others." Naruto said, stepping up beside his green-clad friend.

Lee shook his head. "I am sorry Naruto, but I have already issued the challange, and it would reflect poorly on me if I were to back out now. Besides, while I am good against single opponents, you would be better at handling masses of enemies with your Shadow Clones. So, if you would exuse me, I do believe that I've a job to do." He said, straightening up with one hand behind his back, using the other to make a 'come-hither' motion to Ryo, who'd gotten up and was now doing a credible job of looking like a bull that had just been kicked in the nuts with a steel-toed boot.

"YOU WANNA TAKE ME YOU SONOVABITCH?! FINE! YOU TWO! YOU TAKE CARE OF THE BLOND IDIOT! I'M GONNA SKIN THE GREEN BEAN ALIVE!" Ryo screamed angrily, stomping his foot hard enough to crack the ground.

Naruto cast a gaze over at Lee. "... Ya know, if you loose, it'll look badly on me." He said with a grin.

Lee nodded and returned Naruto's grin just before he leapt up onto the top of the building to their left, taking off across the rooftops. "YOU COWARD! COME BACK HERE!" Ryo screamed, giving chase.

Naruto watched the two run off, then turned his attention back to the two Iwa shinobi. "So I guess it's just us now, huh?" He asked nonchalantly.

One of the two nodded. "Yes, it would seem so. Please forgive us for seeming not so brash as our vice-commander, but we don't know what your abilities are, and in our line of work, the unkown can be deadly for the unsuspecting, and we overheard your conversation with your underling, so we're not about to rush you like Ryo-san would. However, you will be stopped here." the one on the left said, pulling a kunai.

Naruto grinned ferally as he began to stalk forward. "Well, I hope you guys don't hold this against me..."

* * *

Kakashi watched Sakura with a smile until she disappeared from view, then he turned his gaze back on Genbu, and his demeanor changed drasticly as he stared coldly at the large man. "You've been pretty rough with my pupils." He stated.

Genbu shrugged. "I'm sorry Kakashi-kun, I really am, but this is a battle after all. They're pretty nice kids though, and powerful too. I know that Sakura-chan was trained by Lady Tsunade, but what about Naruto? Did you train him?" He asked lightly.

Kakashi shook his head. "No, I'm afraid that I'm not the one who brought him too the level that he's at, that honor belongs to the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. "Kakashu replied, sounding remorseful.

Genbu nodded, his own mood becoming subdued. I was sorry to hear of Lord Jiraiya's death, the man was a good friend." He said with a hint of sadness in his own voice. "However, we should not let ourselves be shackled by the past. Tell me, how did the two of you escape those twenty jonin that I sicced on you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Gai nodded. "Those jonin were good, but nothing special. We had already dispatched a few when one of my students, along with one of the chuunin who came with us, offered to take over the battle so that we may fight you, and they were doing rather well, having taken out another five by the time we lost sight of them. Now then, shall we begin, Genbu-san?" He asked, taking a fighting stance alongside Kakashi.

Genbu nodded, reaching up and grabbing the bands on his wrists. "I know that fighting the both of you at once will be pretty hard, so you won't begrudge me loosing some weights, would you?" He asked, pulling the bands off and tossing them casually to the side, ignoring the dull boom when the extreamly heavy weights struck the ground. Straightening to his full, nearly seven foot height, Genbu cracked his neck once. "One last question before we begin, if you don't mind. Is Naruto-kun the son of the Fourth Hokage? He looks too much like the man, and the fact that he is an orphan and was born at around the time of the Fourth's death are far too convenient for him not too be related somehow." He remarked.

Gai looked gobsmacked as he turned a wide-eyed gaze on Kakashi. "Is that true Kakashi? Is Naruto really the son of the Yondaime?" He asked in a quiet voice.

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm sorry, but this isn't the place to discuss village secrets." He replied.

"Thank you, that's all I needed to know." Genbu replied. "Well, knowing the two of you, you've probably spent a rediculous amount of time training since our last meeting, and have probably picked up a slew of new techniques, though I must warn you that I've gotten my own as well. I actually developed a fighting style based around fighting two strong opponents, so I hope you don't mind if I field test it on you." He said casually, placing his right foot forward and crouching slightly, holding his hands out inf front of him and his elbows close to his sides, with roughly an inch of space between his outstretched fingers as he focoused straight ahead with a frightening intensity.

"What is that stance?" Kakashi asked in a low tone, tensing.

Gai shook his head. "I don't know, but his defense has absolutely no openings. It would probably be best if we attack from either side, are you ready Kakashi?" The bowl-cut jonin asked.

Kakashi mearly nodded, and in a blur, both jonin seemed to disappear, reappearing on either side of the large man, Kakashi on the right, swinging around with a low roundhouse heel kick that would crush Genbu's kidney while Gai appeared no his left, cutting loose with a backhand that would smash right into his face.

In an instant, Genbu became a blur of motion, swinging his right hand back, catching Kakashi by the ankle, while his other hand came up and caught Gai's fist. "Bad move boys!" The giant crowed, jerking both of them off balance before shoving hard on Kakashi's leg, causing Kakashi to stumble into a roll, opening some distance between the two as Genbu brought up his left knee towrd's Gai's stomach, Gai just barely managing to stave off the blow with his free hand, before a right hook by the giant crashed into his temple with enough force that it managed to disorient even the hard-headed Gai. With a grunt, Genbu twisted, taking hold of Gai's arm with both hands, then flung the jonin over his shoulder, turning the man into an imprompteau projectile just as he had with Naruto.

Turning, Genbu jerked his head to the side, just as Kakashi's fist entered the space where the large man's head had been an instant before. Flipping onto his hand, Genbu unleashed a devestating mule kick that Kakashi barely managed to avoid by using substitution, the log he had been replaced with splintering from Genbu's kick, backing up against a metalworks shop as he tried to formulate a plan.

* * *

Naruto, who'd been busy securing the two unconcious Iwa jonin, looked up just in time to see Gai flying past While Kakashi engaged in a fearsome fight with Genbu, trying to strike the mountain of a man while dodging his attacks. "Kakashi-sensei! I'm coming!" Naruto yelled, running towards the combatants as he made the familiar seal for Kage Bushin, so intent on the two combatants that he didn't even notice the change in his vision as he gathered the needed chakra for his signature technique.

Meanwhile, Kakashi snapped out with a side kick to Genbu's knee, only to miss as the man raised his leg at nearly impossible speeds. "Kakashi-kun! You've clearly gotten better since last time!" Genbu said with a chuckle, unleashing a devestating right that the silver-haired jonin had to leap out of the way to avoid, his eyes going wide when he saw the building he'd been backed up to crumble like a house of cards.

Hearing Naruto's yell, Kakashi looked up in time to see an entire horde of over one hundred Narutos decending on Genbu, yelling battle cries as they leapt at the man, their silver eyes flashing. _'Naruto, just hold his attention for a few seconds.'_ Kakashi thought hopefully, going through the handseals for Raikiri, his chakra charging.

Genbu, seeing all of the Narutos leaping at him, whistled. "I've gotta say Naruto-kun, you clearly are a powerful ninja if you can create as many clones as you have! And is that a dojutsu? Yes, those would make you a formidable ninja indeed!" The large jolly man laughed. "But still, you'll need more than numbers and a bloodline if you wish to defeat me! Summoning jutsu!" He exlaimed, going through the required handseals and slamming his palms on the ground.

Naruto had just enough time to have one of his clones throw him out of the way as a huge burst of smoke engulfed all of the clones, destroying them as they smacked solidly into whatever was being summoned, which the memories from the clones told him was covered in shaggy fur. As the smoke cleared, it revealed three ferocious looking bears, each one roughly half as large as Gama Bunta, with Genbu standing upon the head of the one in the middle, looking smug as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Let me introduce you to three of the deadliest creatures from the bear summons, the Hanichyo Brothers!" He called out.

"This could be bad." Kakashi said gravely.

Naruto looked down at his sensei. "Y'think?" He asked, somewhat sarcastically.

The thee bears let out a simultanious roar that shook the buildings around them as the two on either side of the middle one looked back up at Genbu. **_"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF SUMMONING US HERE GENBU?!" _**The one on the left asked.

Genbu motioned towards Naruto, Kakashi, and Gai, who was running up beside Kakashi. "Well, the three of you were complaining that I haven't fought anyone worthwile in a long time, so here you are; Three opponents who are worth an entire army of ninja. I don't have a doubt that if I were to take all three of them alone, not even I would be able to win, and even with the three of you, things are only looking to be slightly in our favor." He replied with a self-satasfied grin, as if he were happy.

**_"HN?! THE GREAT GENBU, THE MAN WHO HAS NEVER BEEN KNOCKED DOWN, SAYING THAT HE CAN'T WIN AGAINST ONLY THREE KONOHA NINJA? NOW I REALLY HAVE HEARD EVERYTHING."_** The one he was standing on remarked.

Genbu nodded, his demeanor turning serious. "And if I'm not mistaken, the short blond is possibly the most dangerous of them all. I think that he might be the son of the Fourth Hokage." He replied.

The bears looked at one another. **_"RIGHT THEN GENBU, WE SHALL HELP YOU IN YOUR FIGHT AGAINST THESE PEOPLE."_** The bear on the right said.

Genbu nodded. "Alright. Suijin, you and Kazejin take on the silver-haired one and the his friend. Tokijin and I will take on the blond." Genbu ordered.

The bears on either side let out another ear-splitting roar and charged forward at Gai and Kakashi, who leapt away as the two massive beasts crashed down where they had been. "KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Naruto yelled, preparing to leapt to their aid, only to be blocked as a massive paw swiped down in front of him, shearing off a quarter of the building he was standing on.

Genbu was only taken slightly aback as Naruto's silvery eyes flashed angrily his way. "Now Naruto-kun, it's us that you're supposed to fight." He chided.

"Shut up and get outta my way." Naruto growled dangerously.

The large bear, Tokijin, snorted derisivly, glaring down at Naruto. **_"YOU WOULD BE WISE NOT TO DISREGARD US CUB, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DEFEAT US."_** He growled.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that, I can summon as well after all." He replied in a dangerous voice, starting to go through the handseals, only dimly aware of the vision of the best placement of the handsigns and th vibrant colors that surrounded everything, he had bigger things to worry about after all. "SUMMONING JUTSU!" The former jinkuuri roared, slamming the palm of his hand on the ground...

... Only to be surprized as absolutely nothing happened. "Oh shit." Naruto said quietly, his silvery eyes widening.

Genbu burst out into laughter, slapping his knee. "Silly Naruto-kun, you've got to sign a contract before you can summon!" he exlaimed, pointing down at the boy.

Fighting the urge to panic, Naruto remembered his other ace in the hole, his Shinigami weapon. Holding his hands out, Naruto closed his eyes and began to concentrate, calling upon his spiritual power. "See through those who stand before me and cut down my enemies as they are revealed, ENSIS EXEQUENS!" The blond cried out loudly...

... Only for once again, nothing to happen. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Naruto cried out confusedly, his eyes snapping open. In the back of his mind, Naruto could swear he heard a dark laughter.

Tokijin cocked his head to the side, studying the enigma in front of him. "What was that power I just felt from this youngling?" He wondered to himself before casting the thought aside with a mental shrug.**_ "LITTLE HUMAN, YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A USELESS NUISANCE. I SHALL KILL YOU NOW."_** The titanic beast growled, raising one massive paw, bringing it down at the young blond, both of his brothers doing the same to both Kakashi and Gai, who had been backed up to one another by the gigantic bears.

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut as the massive paw sped towards him, trying to pull the power forth. Suddenly, something flashed in his mind, and the former jinkuuri's eyes snapped open in realization. "THAT STUPID HOLLOW! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" The blond screamed, holding his left hand out to his side while he held his right up at the onrushing paw. "DELIVER JUSTICE TO THE WICKED, CHIGATANA KEIRIKU!"

Tokijin's paw smashed down hard, collapsing the entire building just as that power that he had felt burst forth like a raging torrent. "What is that?!" Genbu asked, watching from atop his summon's head in astonishment.

Suddenly, the massive Tokijin was thrown slightly off balance as he felt a great pressure against his paw, which was thrown off. Standing there, wearing a black hakama, still holding up his right hand, which he'd managed to stop the bear's swat with, and holding a blood-red katana with a black hilt at his side in his left hand, stood an angry-looking Naruto, his silvery eyes flashing. "This fight is FAR from over." Naruto growled, taking hold of the sword in both hands as he glared up at Genbu.

**-End-**

A/N- Heh he, Well, here it is, the latest chapter! It would actually be a lot longer, but something told me to stop right there and cut this chapter, which was originally gonna be about 15-20,000 words, roughly in half (it's almost 12,000, which is almost twice as long as Enter the Wantabis, which was just over 6,000) . I know it's been a long time, so please don't kill me!

If you noticed, Naruto added the -bozu suffix to Inari's name. In case you are wondering what it means, he's basically calling Inari a squirt (or brat, or kid, or however you choose to view it.)

Thanks to HolyKnight5, who provided the Japanese translation for Naruto's sword. Explenations for the change will come in future chapters.

I hope you all like it, please review!!


	18. Chapter 17, The Other Side of the Coin

A/N- Hey guys!!! I'm sorry for taking so long, and I'd offer an excuse, but even if I did, it wouldn't change anything in the end, so I'm not gonna bore you guys with my personal life. Instead, I'm just gonna bring you the latest chapter of Destiny, The Other Side of the Coin! Enjoy please, and tell me what ya think!!!

Anyway, here are the latest stats- words- 92,313- Chaps.- 18- reviews- 133- hits- 36,533- c2s- 24- Favs.- 92- Alerts- 125

**Chapter 17, The Other Side of the Coin**

In a field a fair distance from the village, the townspeople huddled together, looking fearfuly at their captors, a small squad of five Iwakagure chuunin. Early that morning, they had all been roused from their beds by an even larger force, and told if they did not cooperate, they would all die. So, reluctantly, the villagers marched in ragged files until they reached this spot, and were told to wait for further orders For these people, who were just now starting to recover, it was like the terror of Gato's reign all over again.

Boldly, an old man stood up, glaring at their oppressive guards. "What's going on here? Why have you ninja taken us hostage? We haven't done anything to you!" He demanded, his tired old eyes burning with an inner fire.

"Shut up ya old geezer!" One of the chuunin demanded, walking forward and angrily pushing the old man back, causing him to fall back. "Dammit, if we didn't have to watch over you dumbass villagers, I'd be at that battle right now! I'd be makin' a name for myself! But NOOO, I've gotta baby-sit your stupid asses!" He complained, kicking dirt at the villagers, causing a few to flinch back, bringing a nasty smile to his face.

"Hey hey hey, come down Tsuki, we're just supposed to watch over these people, not scare them half to death." Another one of the chuunin said, placing a calming hand on Tsuki's shoulder.

Tsuki pushed the other chuunin's hand away with an annoyed huff. "Who gives a damn about these pansies? Let's just kill 'em, then go join the battle! I know that at the very least Copy-cat Kakashi and Maito Gai, Konoha's resident Goken master are there. Do you know just how famous we'll become if we're even a part of that, let alone if we kill either of those guys ourselves?!We'll be hailed as heros! C'mon, lets just off these people and get to it!" He exlaimed, whirling on the villagers as he palmed a pair of kunai.

The other three chuunin approached as the one grabbed Tsuki by one of his wrists. "No, we were ordered by Genbu-sama to watch over these villagers, where they would be away from the fighting. If you take one step towards those villagers with the intent to harm them, I'll have to take you down." He replied, his voice low and dangerous.

Another of the chuunin stepped up behind Tsuki, nodding. "Besides, Those two are world-famous jonin who are known for their lethality, while we're just a group of chuunin. Us, take them on? C'mon Tsuki, your being ridiculous. Now, just calm down, and do your duty, ok? You don't want Genbu-sama mad at you do you?" He asked pleasantly, trying to diffuse the situation.

Tsuki spit at their feet, jerking his hand away and putting the kunai away. "Fine..." He grumbled.

The chuunin behind him grinned, and was about to say something, when suddenly the grass around them seemed to come alive, black mice scurrying up the five chuunin, melding together and becoming solid black masses before the men had a chance to react, dragging them to the ground. When the ink receded, all five Iwakagure ninja were unconscious.

"Wh-what just happened...? Are we safe?" A woman asked, tentatively getting up to go check up on the men as the rest of the villagers looked around in confusion.

"Yes, you are all safe now, there is nothing to worry about."

The voice startled the villagers, causing them to look over at the forest, where Sai was emerging from behind a tree, calmly rolling up a scroll."A Konoha ninja! So, does this mean that we can return to our homes?" The old man from before asked hopefully.

Sai shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not right now. There is some rather heavy fighting going on in the village right now between our forces and the opposing force from Iwakagure. It would be best for you all to either remain here, or better yet, move to a further location so that you will be safe." He replied.

"I don't think these villagers will be going anywhere."

Before anyone realized it, another Iwa had appeared behind Sai, holding a kunai to his throat. "You may have been able to defeat those chuunin, but did you honestly think the Genbu-sama would have left them alone with just five chuunin without a jonin supervisor? I knew someone would be coming along eventually, so I hid myself, and you fell right into my trap." He said, pressing the kunai even closer.

Without warning, a wave of power washed over the two, feeling completely alien from any chakra signature they had ever felt. "What the hell was that?!" The jonin asked, shocked.

"I have a feeling it was Naruto." Sai said from just behind the jonin, knocking him out before he had a chance to react, the ink clone he'd been holding dissolving before wrapping around him, forming a binding cocoon.

"What's going on? What should we do?" The old man asked Sai as he went about binding the five chuunin.

"Like I said, You all need to get to a safer locale. I will escort you all after I send a message back to Konoha." Sai replied as he finished binding the chuunin and setting them by the jonin, setting a multi-layered genjutsu to be triggered in case any of them woke. Then, taking out another scroll, he quickly jotted down a message informing Tsunade that the battle had already started, but the villagers of Wave were safe, and being moved to a secure location. Then, using his jutsu, he transformed the ink into a replica of a bird and set it off in the direction of Konohakagure. "Okay, if you all will follow me please, I will escort you." He said, smiling at the villagers.

Still uncertain, the villagers of Wave gathered up to follow behind the eccentric young ninja, who spared one last look back at the village, a frown briefly marring his features.

* * *

Neji stood as still as a statue in his Jyuuken pose, glaring at the thirty or so Iwa shinobi that surrounded him and the others. "Shikamaru, what's the plan?" He asked, shifting one foot slightly. After he and Shikamaru had taken out the first few, the others had wised up and were keeping their distance, not that even distance had helped them too much when Tenten and Sakura had joined the duo, but they were still holding their own, and at this rate, he and the others would run out of chakra before the Iwa shinobi did.

Shikamaru shook his head, glancing around. "I've got a few ideas, but they're all a bit too sketchy for me to run with. Don't worry though, I've almost got something figured out." He replied in a low tone.

"Well you better hurry up soon, I'm getting antsy." Tenten said curtly, fingering a wicked-looking sickle she held in her hands as she watched the Iwa nin with a gimlet stare.

"You guys talk as if your gonna beat us, but it looks like we've got the upper hand in numbers right now." One of the opposing ninja shot back, wielding a pair of wakazashi. The man was probably an upper-ranked jonin, considering that he was one of the only ones to hold up against both Gai and Kakashi, and he had managed to stave off one of Neji's Jyuuken assaults.

Sakura glared at the man. "Oh yeah? Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?" She growled, causing five chuunin amoung the Iwa group to cringe, having already learned not to cross her.

Before the jonin could retaliate, a huge wave of energy washed over them all, stopping them in their tracks. "N-Naruto-kun?" Sakura whispered in disbelief, looking in the direction the energy pulse had come from.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Demanded one of the chuunin in a shrill voice.

The jonin at the head of the group shook his head, sheathing his wakazashi. "I don't know, but it definitly did not come from Genbu-sama." He said, his tone giving away his worry. Looking down at the group of Konoha nin, he quickly made up his mind. "Half of you stay behind to take care of these four, and the rest of you come with me to see if we can't lend any aid to Genbu-sama. I don't know about that kid, but dealing with both copy-nin Kakashi and Maito Gai would be hard for anyone. Let's go!" He ordered, leaping away, followed by fourteen other Iwa ninja.

Shikamaru grunted. "I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. In any case, we should probably take these guys out, and get over there, because that's definitly where Naruto was." He said, palming a kunai.

Neji spared a quick look over his shoulder at Shikamaru. "Think we can take these guys down?" He asked.

For the first time, the pineapple-haired teen smirked. "Easy as completing a D-rank mission." He replied, letting the kunai fly.

"You shouldn't underestimate us brat! We'll have your heads!" One of the remaining chuunin yelled as they all stepped to one side or the other to let the kunai pass harmlessly by.

One of the few remaining jonin watched the kunai fly past, there was something odd about it...

"Scatter!" The jonin screamed, seeing a corner of the explosive tag that had cleverly been hid on the underside of the kunai, already fizzling. They all leapt away just as it exploded in a bright flash of light.

"Wh-what just happened..." One of the chuunin asked, confused.

Shikamaru grinned as the others moved in. "Multi Shadow Possesion Jutsu, success."

* * *

Suijin and Kazejin towered over Kakashi and Gai, a malicious, rumbling chuckle escaping from Suijin's throat as they glared down at the two Konoha jonin. **_"KNOW THAT YOU DIED WITHOUT GIVING US ANY REAL FIGHT."_** Suijin growled, raising one massive paw to smash Gai with while his brother mirrored the action, letting out a snort of disgust as he looked dispassionatly at Kakashi. Both of the large summons swung at the same time, though the sudden explosion of raw power from where their brother was distracted the two, fatally breaking their concentration for a split second.

Seeing the distraction, Gai's body tensed up. "FIRST GATE, _KAI_!" The green-clad jonin roared, feeling a rush of power through his body as his pupils dialated to pinpricks, dodging to the side as both Suijin and Kazejin's paws smashed down. His attention focoused fully on his overly large opponent, Gai leaped, kicking the massive bear in the side of the head with a spinning roundhouse, slamming him so hard that Suijin's head twisted and he went down, disappearing in a poof of smoke.

_**"SUIJIN!!! YOU BASTARD!!!"**_ Kazejin roared, watching his brother fall at the hands of the impudent ninja. With a mighty roar that masked the sounds of thousands of birds chirping, Kazejin prepared to charge, heedless of the daqnger right behind him, up until a massive pain ripped through his back and he disappeared as well, Kakashi landing beside the splintered log he'd replaced with when the bear tried to crush him. "Gai!" Kakashi exlaimed, watching his fellow jonin landed a few yards away.

"Kakashi, what is going on with the young Naruto?" Gai asked, releasing his hold on the first gate. "I did not know that he was capable of such power anymore, since he lost his control of the demon!" He went on.

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm not too clear on the details either Gai, but Naruto still needs our help, I spied a group of Iwa nin coming this way when I was in the air.

Gai nodded. "Alright then, let us go help our most youthful comrade!" With that, the two were off, rushing towards the towering form of Tokijin.

* * *

Lee and Ryo landed atop the roof of an inn, facing one another. "Heh, so you've finally stopped running Green Bean? Ready to be squashed now?" He asked cockily.

"You are too arrogant! Prepare to taste defeat at the hands of Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast, Rock Lee!" Lee replied, moulding into his classic taijutsu pose.

Ryo snorted, thumbing his nose at Lee. "Konoha is the worst village there is, preaching peace. There will never be peace, and in the end, only the strong will survive. When I become the Rokudaime og Iwakagure, I'll make sure that your damn village full of weaklings is the first place I personally crush." He shot back.

Just then, a wave of power passed over both of them, but so intent were they on one another they did not spare a glance. "Heh, it seems like there's someone stronger out there for me to test myself against, so I'll make sure to end this in one hit." Ryo said, pulling his vest over his head and tossing it over the side of the inn, where it landed on the ground with a resounding boom.

Lee nodded. "My allies may need me, so I shall not spare any effort here either." He replied, removing his orange leg-warmers and their weights, along with his vest, and tossing them over the side as well, their impact mirroring Ryo's vest.

"WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!" Ryo roared, and the two charged one another, their fists pulled back.

* * *

Genbu squatted down, whistling. "Whoa, that's pretty impressive Naruto-kun! How'd you manage that? And what's with the change of clothes?" He asked in wonder.

Shutting his eyes briefly as he felt the power course through him, Naruto snapped them back open. "It's a long story, but to put it bluntly, I'm a Shinigami, a God of Death, and now that I've unlocked my powers, you don't stand a chance. You should give up Genbu, I really don't wanna hurt you, but I will if I have to." He said, his eyes seeming to spark with power.

Genbu grinned. "That sounds like a challange gaki! Fine then, I'll play with ya, but you shouldn't underestimate me! Let's see how much of a shinigami you really are!" He exlaimed.

Tokijin tore his eyes away from the boy in front of him, feeling his brothers disappear. **_"GENBU, THOSE OTHER TWO HAVE DEFEATED MY BROTHERS."_** He informed.

Genbu nodded. "Can you hold 'em off while I fight Naruto-kun? I'll be there in a minute to help you out." He promised.

**_"I SHALL NEED NO HELP AGAINST HUMANS, NO MATTER HOW POWERFUL."_** Tokijin rumbled, turning to go face Kakashi and Gai as Genbu leapt from his head.

Suddenly, fifteen Iwa shinobi appeared on a building a short distance behind Naruto. "Master Genbu! We are here to help!" One of the jonin yelled.

Naruto whirled to see the Iwa ninja. "So you guys wanna take me on too huh?! FINE! MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUSTU!" He yelled, making the familiar handsign, making sure it was in the right position. Suddenly, a hundred Narutos appeared all around him, yelling battle cries as they chared towards the Iwa shinobi, who issued battle-cries of their own and charged as well.

_'Shit! Against that many clones of Naruto-kun's calibar, my boys won't stand a chance!'_ Genbu thought frantically. Quickly coming up with a plan, he formed an earth clone that went after Naruto, and then he himself aimed for the center of the charging group of clones, landing at their center even as he was going through another set of handseals.

* * *

Naruto blocked another hit by the earth clone of Genbu and counter-attacked, Chigatana Keiriku biting deep into the clone's shoulder. "Man, earth clones are durable!" He complained, leaping away.

The clone grinned. "What's the matter Naruto-kun? Am I too much for ya to handle?"" He asked, taking a taijutsu stance.

Naruto frowned as he felt all of his clones disappear, mental images of Genbu's chakra flaring as he touched the ground, then spikes of earth shooting up in a huge radius around him popping up in his mind. "A clone? Never. Let's see how you can handle this though!" He exlaimed, quickly forming another shadow clone, the two of them quickly forming a Rasengan that grew to a gigantic size. "Oodama Rasengan!" They cried out togehter, hitting the clone with it, obliterating the clone.

* * *

Genbu turned, his eyes widening with shock as he watched his clone obliterated by what was easily the largest Rasengan he'd ever seen. "HOLY- YOU CAN USE RASENGAN NARUTO-KUN!" He exlaimed, flabbergasted. _'Oh, this isn't good. With as many clones as the gaki can make, and the ability to use Rasengan, he'll decimate my troops in no time.'_ He thought worriedly. Looking around, he spotted four approaching Konoha nin, Sakura among them. "Men! I want you to lead those Konoha ninja away and capture them! Leave Naruto to me!" he ordered, pointing at the approaching cell.

"YES SIR!" All of the Iwa nin said simultaniously, saluting, secretly glad to have an excuse to get away from the suddenly much more fersome-seeming blond. With a roar, they charged towards Sakura, Neji, Tenten, and Shikamaru.

* * *

"That's not good!" Tenten exlaimed, screeching to a halt, pulling out a large spiked mallet from a scroll.

Shikamru shook his head. "No, this is perfect actually. Naruto can hold off that leader guy until we finish with these guys, and then we can come back and help him." He replied.

"What should we do?" Neji asked.

Shikamaru closed his eyes. "Let's withdraw for a distance, so that their leader won't be tempted to help out, and then we'll take them out." He strategized.

With a nod, the other three started to back up, and then they all foud fled.

_'Naruto, please be safe.' _Sakura thought, sparing a glance back.

* * *

Naruto and Genbu stood off, neither one moving a muscle as they eyed each other warily. "I've gotta say Naruto, that Rasengan was the most impressive I've ever seen. It seems you have surpassed your idol in at least one area." Genbu complimented, sliding into a stance.

Naruto afforded a small grin. "If you thought that was impressive, I'll show ya my Rasenshuriken some time, it's a whole level above the Oodama Rasengan." He replied, gripping Chigatana Keiriku in both hands. "However, with my shikai released I shouldn't need to use it." He went on.

Genbu grinned. "I don't know if I should thank you or feel insulted Naruto-kun. BUT I THINK YOU NEED AN ASS-WHUPPIN' EITHER WAY!" He yelled, charging forward. He swung one meatty fist forward, only to have Naruto dodge out of the way at the last instant, bringing his sword around at Genbu's waist. Genbu counteracted by blocking with one of his steel-inlaid bracers, then lashed out with a side kick that Naruto jumped above, planting both of his feet in Genbu's face, staggering the giant back.

"Not bad Naruto-kun! At this level you definitly have the upper hand!" the giant exlaimed, grinning as he wiped away some blood from his nose.

Naruto nodded, taking a stance. "Your saying that, but you don't sound worried." He replied.

Genbu's grin widened. "You've got the power and speed Naruto-kun, but I've got experience and technique, and those should never be counted out. I've come up with a hundred different ways to fight Byakugan and Sharingan users, and I can apply a few of those techniques against you!" He revealed.

Naruto pulled back a bit, observing his adversary. "I can't tell if your bluffing or not, so I guess there's only one way to find out!" He yelled, rushing forward, Chigatana Keiriku held at the ready.

Genbu grinned and dug in... and as soon as Naruto got close, kicked up, spraying dirt into the teen's face, blinding him.

Crying out at the sudden, shocking blindness, Naruto stumbled forward, only to be stopped as Genbu buried a huge fist into his gut, robbing him of his arir and folding him over. Before he could regain his bearings, the giant hammerfisted him in the back, knocking Naruto to the ground before he kicked him through the wall of an inn, into the main lobby, causing Naruto to wheeze in pain.

"Heh, I think that this battle is mine Naruto." Genbu said, stalking forward.

* * *

Guys, I've got a bad feeling about Naruto!" Sakura said worriedly, using a kunai to block some shuriken, watching warily as two Iwa shinobi moved in.

Suddenly, a pair of spiked chains lashed out, forcing the shinobi back. "What are ya waitin' for then Sakura?! Go make sure he's ok!" Tenten exlaimed, whipping the chains around.

"But what about you guys?!" sakura asked desperately.

Neji dropped one of the remaining jonin with a Jyuuken strike to the back of the neck. "Don't worry about us Sakura, we can handle these fools. Go now, so you can assuge your worry." He said calmly, watching as several nin jumped at him. "Kaiten!" Suddenly he disappeared under a swirling blue dome, knocking the Iwa forces away.

"Thanks guys!" Sakura exlaimed gratefully, taking off.

* * *

Genbu stepped through the hole that Naruto's body had made, grinning. "You ready for your whuppin' to continue?" He asked, cracking his knuckles as Naruto struggled to his feet.

"Yuh... Thuh... This isn't over yet." Naruto groaned, spitting up blood.

Genbu's grin grew. "What more do you have Naruto-kun? I've worked you over pretty bad." He replied.

"Yuh-you haven't seen any of... of my techniques with Ch-chigatana... Keiriku... But... BUT HERE'S ONE NOW!" He cried out, spinning his sword around, then thrusting it up into the air. A sudden, violent wins sprung up around around Naruto's feet, rattling the windows of the Inn.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Genbu bellowed, his eyes going wide as he began to go through a complex set of handseals.

Suddenly, Sakura burst in through the front doors, spotting Naruto. "NARUTO!" She screamed, thinking Genbu was the cause of the building's shaking.

"FIRST WIND OF ASCENSION, _KAMEKAZE_!" Naruto screamed, unable to halt what he'd already started as he brought Chigatana Keiriku down in a cross-slash. Suddenly the winds formed a raging tornado that tore the inn apart as it rushed towards Genbu, bodily picking him up as it tore through town.

The remaining parts of the inn that still stood, unable to take their own weight any longer, collapsed all around Naruto, some of the boards falling on top of Sakura, who cried out in pain before going silent.

With a low groan, Naruto watched the tornado tear through the town, large black spots invading his vision as he felt consciousness slipping from hin. "Nuh-no... c-can't...bl-bla...ck... go...ta... save... saku..." reaching out, he fell forward, his head knocking against a collapsed support beam as he passed out on top of the broken remains of the main floor, still clutching his sword loosely in his left hand.

* * *

As soon as Naruto lost conscioussness, the tornardo which he'd created, now unsupported by his reishi, collapsed, dropping Genbu uncerimoniously to the ground. Holding his head, Genbu sat up, eyeing the devestation left in the wake of Naruto's attack. In a nearly straight line, all of the buildings had been flattened. "Ow, that kid hits harder than my old master did!" He grumbled, staggering to his feet.

"Genbu! What happened? Did you do this?!"

Genbu turned, blinking owlishly as he spied Kakashi and Gai making their way towards him, both looking the worse for wear. "No, it was Naruto actually- That kid really packs a punch when he really puts it together. Did you guys get hit by his attack as well?" He asked, gingerly feeling a large knot on his head.

Gai shook his head. "Almost, but we managed to avoid the worst of it. Your summons wasn't so lucky though, he had to unsummon to avoid anymore damage afterr the tornado threw a building on top of him." He replied.

Genbu laughed despite himself, and quickly found himself regretting it as his body racked with pain. "I've gotta hand it to ya Kakashi, that kid's really something else, I didn't think anyone had a technique that could throw me like that, let alone a young gaki like him! Heh, he's managed to rightly earn himself a new title today I reckon, and he's taken away one of mine. In any case, I'd say that we should call a temporary truce, since it seems that none of us are really up for fighting right now." He said, struggling to his feet.

"Alrightt. Oh, and what would that be about Naruto's new name?" Kakashi asked, covering his Sharingan back up as they finally reached the giant of a man.

Genbu grinned down at Kakashi. "He can now call himself 'The one who knocked down the Iwa Mountain.' What since his technique did that to me. Damn! That thing is destructive!" He exlaimed, lokking again across town, where the tornado had ripped it's destructive swath. "How can the gaki have that kind of power Kakashi? I haven't seen anything like that since our jinkuuri went crazy and released his demon, escaping from Iwkagura and levelling a quarter of it in the process!" He questioned.

Kakashi shook his head. "I wish I could say, but even I'm not certain. After Naruto lost his demon, he somehow managed to come back with new powers, and took down a demon that easily rivaled the great bijuu in size, but I wasn't anywhere near him at the time to get a look at how he did it. How ab out you Gai?" He asked, looking over at his best friend.

Gai shook his head as well. "Alas, I didn't see it either, though I was told Naruto's skills were a sight to behold, and that he could easily claim to have killed at least a third of the demonic horde and not be exaggerating." He replied.

Genbu whistled. "Damn Kakashi, the brat's really something else! Let's go find him and agree to a truce before he makes us look any worse, eh?" He asked, starting down the new, rubble-strewn path.

Looking at one another, Kakashi and Gai nodded once, and started after Genbu, catching up to him.

* * *

A small distance from ground zero, where Naruto collapsed, a tumbled wall shifted, and then fell aside as Ryo pulled himself up, panting heavily, bleeding from numerous gashes. "DAMN IT!" He roared, punching the wall that had fallen on top of him as he stared around, wild-eyed. "WHERE'D THAT GREEN BEAN GO?! COME OUT SO THAT I CAN RIP YOU APART!" He screamed. Looking around, he saw Naruto laying there, unconscious. "WAS IT YOU THAT INTERRUPTED OUR FIGHT?! I'LL KILL YOU!" He screamed, practically foaming at the mouth as he stomped forward, intent on killing Naruto.

Stalking up the mound of rubble, he stood above the blond teen's prone form. "I said I was gonna kill you before all this was over, and I meant it." He whispered with a maniacal grin, bending forward, reaching out with one hand.

Suddenly, another hand burst from under some collapsed floorboards, grabbing Ryo by his wrist. "Yuh-you w-won't hurt... Naruto..." Sakura panted, pulling herself up from underneath the section that had fallen on top of her, her drooping eyes signalling that she was near her limit as well.

Snarling, Ryo turned towards Sakura, grabbing her roughly by the throat with his other hand and lifting her up, squeezing. "You would dare try and stop me, little bitch?!" He growled, his grip tightening, a cruel smirk playing across his lips as Sakura futilly tried to break his grip, clawing uselessly at his forearm. "Heh, time to die." He laughed, cocking back his other arm.

Before he could unleash a fatal punch though, a sudden burst of energy stumbled him, nearly knocking him over. The energy... It felt... Evil... Dripping with an unmatched malevolence that shook Ryo to the very core. Turning his head, he looked back to where Naruto was laying-

-Only there was nothing there, the blond had disappeared. "Wha-" He started, only to have an excruciating pain shoot up his arm. Whipping his head back around, he spotted Naruto, his back to him, holding his arm in a vice-like grip. Without warning, his grip tightened even further, causing Ryo to start screaming uncontrollably as the bones popped and his arm spasamed in pain, his fingers opening reflexivly, dropping Sakura. "Wh-What the hell are you?!" He asked, trying frantically to pull his broken arm from Naruto's grip.

**_"A monster? Heh, I guess you could call me that..."_** Naruto replied, his voice gleeful, and terrifyingly different from what Ryo had heard earlier. Letting go of his arm, Naruto slowly turned, and Ryo got a look at his tormentors face...

Kami, he wished he hadn't.

Naruto towered above Ryo, grinning down at him insanely. almost the entire right half of his face covered in a bone-white mask, the teeth displayed in a gruesome, skeletal smile. A single horn jutted from his forehead, sweeping up towards his hair. "Awww, why the face, arn't I pretty?" He asked, giggling insanely, his eyes, which had become a mixture of equal parts black and silver, with golden, slitted irises, locking onto Ryo's own brown ones.

"Puh-please don't kill me!" Ryo begged, trying to back up.

Naruto, or rather, his inner hollow, laughed. **_"Now what would give ya an idea like that?"_** He asked, his eyes gleaming with an unholy fervor as he reached for Ryo.

* * *

Genbu, Kakashi and Gai, feeling the malevolent burst of energy picked up the pace as they rushed past buildings to get to the site where they felt it. "KAKASHi, WHAT WAS THAT?!" Genbu bellowed as they ran.

"Surely it's not some remnant of the fox is it Kakashi?" Gai asked as they ran.

Kakashi shook his head as Genbu came skidding to a halt. "What?! The boy's a Jinkuuri?!" The large man gasped.

Sighing, Kakashi shook his head. "He was, but the Kyuubi was pulled from him. He no longer has it, which means he shouldn't have access to demonic chakra anymore. I've got no clue as to what this new chakra that we're feeling is." He replied. "In an case, we don't have any time to sit around talking about it, let's move!" He ordered, taking the lead, Gai and Genbu following close behind.

As they finally made their way to where they had felt the horrible energy, they were met by an even worse sight, Naruto, with his back to them, holding Ryo up, spitted through the middle on his sword. **_"HEY GUYS! WHO WANTS SOME SHISH-KABOB?!"_** Naruto yelled out gleefully as Ryo screamed in pain.

"NARUTO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Kakashi screamed, skidding to a halt.

With a grunt of annoyance, Naruto slung his sword, sending Ryo flying towrds them, only to be caught by Genbu. **_"Why... I was just wantin' to have some fun!" _**He exlaimed, turning towards, the trio, causing them to start with a shock, seeing the mask that was half-formed on his face and the malevolent aura that surrounded him.

"Uh, we've got a BIG problem here guys." Gai said, taking a taijutsu stance.

Genbu, staunching the bleeding, nodded. "Gai, please get my student out of here. I'm sure that Kakashi is going to go for Sakura, am I right?" He asked, turning towards the cycloptic jonin.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, leaving her there would only be a deterrant, I was going to move her out of here, and then come back to help." He responded.

Genbu nodded. "Well, the two of you get them out of here, and I'll hold him as long as I can until the two of you get back, alright?" He asked.

Gai, who'd shouldered the now unconcious Ryo, looked at Genbu in shock. "But you cannot possibly take him! Especially in your condition!" He exlaimed.

Genbu shook his head. "I know that Gai, but of the three of us, I'm the best suited for holding him off one-on-one until backup arrives." He said, grinning at Gai and giving him a thumbs-up.

**_"IF YOU GUYS ARE FINISHED TALKING, I WANNA PLAY NOW!"_** Hollow Naruto screamed, swinging his sword down in a slashing arc. A huge gout of energy erupted from the blade, tearing along the ground towards the surprized trio, wailing as it plowed towards them.

"SCATTER!" Kakashi screamed, and they leapt in opposite ditrections, looking back long enough to see the blast tear through a building, tearing it apart.

"Kami, what power!" Gai breathed in awe, landing a fair distance away. "I'll be back shortly! He called out, and then he was gone, having taken off with Ryo slung over his shoulder.

Kakashi had similarly gotten around Hollow Naruto, and was gingerly scooping an unconscious Sakura into his arms. "Don't worry Sakura, I've got you." He said gently, and then he was off as well.

Hollow Naruto watched the two jonin run off, seeming to pout. **_"Awww, come back guys, we'll have fun! And then I'll kill you in the most painful way possible, I promise!" _**He called after them, then broke down into more insane giggles.

Before he could leap afteer them though, Genbu appeared, blocking his path. "Sorry kid, but it's just you and me for now." He aid, his voice deep and menacing.

* * *

A jostle, her eyes began to flutter.

Another jutsle, and she was roused further into consciousness. Looking up blearily, she saw the face of her former master. "K-kakashi-sensei?" She asked weakly.

Kakashi cam to a halt, laying Sakura down. "It's ok Sakura, I've gotten you away fomr there, and I'll have you to safety shortly." He promised.

Sakura shook her head. "Nuh-no... Kakashi... sensei... Naruto... Naruto needs us!" She exlaimed, grabbing at the sleeve of Kakashi's shirt.

"Sakura, you really don't need to be there right now." Kakashi chided, looking over his shoulder, back at where the battlefield was.

Sakura's grip tightened, a fire springing into her eyes. "No Kakashi-sensei... We never leave a comrade behind! Can't you feel it? Naruto needs us now more than ever... He's... He's lost in the darkness..." She panted.

kakashi bit his lower lip, indecisive. "...Fine." He finally conceeded. "You're right Sakura, we can't abandon Naruto now, can we? He's our precious comrade after all. Fine then, let's go." He said, helping her up.

"Thanks, sensei." Sakura said, sighing in relief.

Tenativly, they started to make their way back to the battlefield.

* * *

**_"Awww, just you against me? I'm kinda hurt."_** Hollow Naruto said, pretending to pout before he burst into insane giggles. "You **_really shoulda had those other two stay and help ya, it would've been SOOO much more fun!"_** He exclaimed, grinning down at Genbu from the ruined remains of what had been a general goods store.

Genbu glared up at the transformed blond. "I'm not entirely sure what's happened to you kid, but you need to snap out of it! Look around you and see the destruction you've already caused! You need to stop before you cause anymore damage, or worse, kill an innocent, Naruto!" He demanded, standing at the base of the building turned rubble, his deep-set scowl the mirror opposite of Hollow Naruto's grin. "I can feel the malevolent power pouring off of you in waves, but I can also feel the good, pure heart that I know you posses, hidden under the layers of that malevolence. However, as you are now, I fear what you might be capable of. Therefore, don't expect me to hold back, I'll go all out this time to make sure that you don't hurt anyone who can't defend themselves." He went on, shedding his vest and tossing it away, where it landed with an audible thump that shook the ground, then tossed his boots along side it, which produced similar results.

Hollow Naruto's grin only widened further at Genbu's words. **_"That's good- That's VERY good!"_** He exclaimed, his excited anticipation heightening to where it seemed almost that of a child's who knows he is about to recieve a brand-new toy. **_"It wouldn't be very fun if you held back after all, there wouldn't be any sport in it! I haven't had a chance to play at all since I awakened after all- Can you believe that the stupid boss has kept me on the sidelines?! ME! I didn't even get to have any fun in that fight against those demon thingies, even though his sword drew more off of my own hollow reishi rather than that of his Shinigami reishi!"_** He went on, rambling. With a sigh, his smile disappeared and he slicked his hair back with one hand, pointing Chigatana Keiriku, which pulsed a bloody red, at Genbu with his other. **_"Now, can we begin please? I'm really wantin' ta play."_** He said, his grin returning slightly, playing as a small smirk.

Genbu grunted, sliding into a taijutsu stance. "Fine then brat, you've asked for it. First Gate- KAI!" He bellowed, chakra seeming to explode from him as the ground around his feet cratered and he disappeared from view.

Hollow Naruto's eyes widened. **_"What th-"_** His words died abruplty on his lips as he grinned and tilted his head to the left slightly, Genbu's fist passing harmlessly by from behind, where Hollow Naruto's head had just been. Ducking his head, he dodged as Genbu's meaty arm swept across his shoulders, then kicked backwards, his foot connecting with Genbu's upraising leg, using it as a platform to leap away from the large man, landing on the roof of a nearby building. **_"Hey hey! That wasn't too bad old man!"_** He laughed, turning to face Genbu.

Genbu for his part was gobsmacked. How had the gaki done that?! In one instant, Genbu had taken his back and was going for a clean knockout punch, but Naruto had somehow dodged the attack, along with the two follow-ups, even going so far as to use Genbu's leg as a springboard to put some distance between them! "How in the name of Kami did you manage that Naruto?!" He demanded, taking his stance again. "Do your eyes act like the Uchiha's, telling you where your opponent is going to be before they're actually there?!"

Hollow Naruto threw his head back, bellowing laughter. **_"You think my eyes are the same as that weak clans?! Oh, that's hilarious!" _**He exlaimed, holding his sides. After his laughing fit had mostly passed, he wiped a tear from one of his eyes. **_"No, my eyes can't do that. They do give me a rough idea of what my opponent is gonna do, but that's only a small side effect of their real abilities, which the boss hasn't come anywhere near tapping into. No, what these eyes really do is show me the auras of everything that produces energy, and how they use that energy, everything from the slightest twitch of a muscle to say- releasing the first of the eight blocks that keep your fragile human bodies from tearing themselves apart from the type of power they're actually capable of. Thanks for that technique by the way- my eyes also have the nifty little ability to show me how to work any move I see, and to it's maximum effect too! Not that when you used it there were really any flaws, your control over that move is nearly flawless, you must have been practicing it for years."_** He grinned.

Genbu gritted his teeth. "So those eyes of yours make you a technique thief do they? But that doesn't explain how you were able to read me so perfectly." He groweld back.

Hollow Naruto chuckled again. **_"Even if that is another side effect of the eyes, the boss wouldn't ever intentionally use 'em for that. But you see, there is another interesting use for them. And hey, I don't even mind revealin' it to ya, since I'm on a whole different level from you anyway, human."_** He spat the last word out as if it left a foul taste in his mouth. **_"No, one of the major abilities of my eyes is that they show me the energy of everything, and how that energy reacts with the energy of other objects, wether it be chakra, reishi, electricity, or anything like that. "_** His grin widened and he flashed his teeth. **_"Everything has an aura field, and once yours interacts with mine when we clash, that's it. All is takes is a little of my energy used the right way, and your attacks will never connect with me. I can make them veer off to the side and leave you completely open." _**He said, his voice taking on a menacing tone.

Genbu nodded slowly, and in the blink of an eye, a kunai impacted against Hollow Naruto's mask, snapping his head back as the kunai slid across it with a horrible screech. "Thought so." He said in a thoughtful tone.

Hollow Naruto snapped his head back around, his eyes wide with glee. **_"You already found a way around my dojutsu just with that small explanation?! Maybe I underestimated you human, that's not half bad!"_** He exclaimed happily.

With a grunt, Genbu unleashed a barrage of kunai and shuriken, leaping after them. Even as Naruto used his sword to bat away the projectiles, Genbu came in high, aiming to knock him down with an overhead hammerfist, only to have Naruto effortlessly dodge, retaliating by kicking Genbu in the gut, sending the large man tumbling over the side of the roof, hitting the ground with an audible thump.

Genbu grimaced as he stood up, trying to think of a way to counter-act Naruto's dojutsu again. He'd already used dirt once, so Naruto would undoubtedly be on gaurd for that again. Things were looking increasingly hopeless against this monster the boy had become, but maybe, just maybe, if he could buy enough time, he could figure out away around the boy's abilities. "So you counter-act people's moves by focing a little bit of your... Chakra? Reishi? into interacting with their own energy fields, causing their attacks to veer off huh? And what if I was to concentrate and force my energy to counteract what your doing?" He asked.

Hollow Naruto's single visible eyebrow rose.**_ "Who knows, eh? I've gotta say, I've really underestimated your ability to figure out stuff like counters like that."_** Turning to the side, he looked away from Genbu, where the sun was creeping towards it's zenith in the sky. **_"You really are a unique human, so I'll let you in on another secret about these eyes of mine- they allow me to see... a ghost I guess you could call it... of the moves that I can possibly do with my power, as well as their names. As a hollow, I wouldn't normally be able to access some of these techniques until I grew in power- And don't ask me how I know it either, I just do, kinda like an instinct or something, I dunno. but with these eyes I can see how to form my energy in the correct way to form those attacks that I normally wouldn't know how to use, so I'll honor you with one of the most powerful attacks my kind can produce."_** He said, holding his right hand up towards Genbu, a sickening light began to emenate from his palm as a ball of energy began to form there.

"Wh-what is that?" Genbu asked, a sinking feeling worming it's way into his gut.

Hollow Naruto turned his head to look at Genbu. **_"It's called a Cero, or Doom Blast. So long."_** He smirked, and the world seemed to disappear in a flash of light.

* * *

Sakura and Kakashi, who had been making their way, slowly due to Sakura's condition, felt the massive build-up just before the entire town was rocked by a deafening explosion. "Kakashi-sensei, what the hell was that?!" Sakura asked, shielding her face from the sudden backlash of debries that the explosion kicked up.

Kakashi shook his head, covering himself in a similar manner. "I don't know Sakura, but I'm afraid it was Naruto's doing. Did you feel that build-up? That was Naruto's power in his new form that we felt. I'm almost afraid to see what the battlefield looks like after that explosion." He admitted, pulling his hitai-ate up and exposing his Sharingan eye, even though he knew he wouldn't be able to do much with his chakra as low as it was.

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know what's going on Kakashi-sensei, but Naruto needs us, I can feel it." He said firmly, using a wall to support herself as she pushed on.

Kakashi walked up, taking Sakura's other arm and pulling it over his shoulders, letting her rest some of her weight on him, which caused Sakura to sigh in relief. "Thanks sensei." She said gratefully.

Kakashi shook his head. "Don't worry about it Sakura, your right. Naruto is our precious comrade and we have to do what we can to save him, even if it's saving him from himself." He agreed.

Sakura smiled, and was about to reply when they rounded the corner of a building, stumbling upon the site of Genbu and Naruto's battle- Or what was left of it at least. "Dear Kami... Did Naruto do this?" She breathed.

Looking down in shock, they saw that they were standing at the edge of a trench that was at least twenty feet wide and five feed deep, stretching all the way to the waterfront, which was quickly filling in the trench.

* * *

Hollow Naruto leapt down, landing lightly on his feet as he looked down at his hand in contempt. _**"Figures, with most of my power still held in check by the boss, I can't manage anything more than that weak little blast. However... I gotta say, I'm impressed that you dodged it all the same."**_ He said with a smirk, looking from his hand down at Genbu, who was laying on the ground groaning in pain.

"Whuh-what was... th-that?" Genbu asked weakly, looking up at Hollow Naruto through bleary eyes.

Hollow Naruto looked down at Genbu, cocking his head to the side. **_"I told you already, that was a Doom Blast, one of the most powerful attacks in my aresnal. It was only at about thirty percent power, but it was impressive all the same that you managed to dodge it, being human and all. However, I can promise that you won't dodge this. Goodbye Human, die with the knowlage that you never stood a chance against me." _**He said arrogantly, raising Chigatana Keiriku above his head to deliver the final blow.

"NARUTO! NO!"

Lowering his sword, Hollow Naruto looked over his shoulder, spying Sakura and Kakashi standing there, Sakura panting from the exertion of screaming for him to stop.**_ "More human bugs? I swear, you guys are like cockroaches."_** He growled, turning towards them...

Kakashi's eyes widened, and he just had enough time to get his arms up to protect himself as Hollow Naruto kicked him into the wall behind him with an audible thump.

"Please stop this Naruto!" Sakura begged, tears forming in her eyes as she fell to her knees from the sudden lack of support, grabbing onto one of his pants-legs.

Hollow Naruto looked down at Sakura in contempt. **_"Even if you are a weak human, you shouldn't beg, it's beneath you."_** He said, raising his sword high over his head in his left hand.

The tears were spilling freely down over Sakura's cheecks now. "Please Naruto, this isn't really you! Your a good person Naruto, and you wouldn't hurt your friends, so please don't do this! Please come back to us!" She cried.

Hollow Naruto grinned. **_"Isn't really me? Girl, I'm as much Naruto as the part of him that you do actually know. I'm all the hatred, all the anger, all the pain, and all the sorrow that he's ever experienced taken physical form. And I can tell you, being born from that, that I KNOW that you were cause for at least part of that pain that he's experienced in his life. All those times that you degraded him or ignored him? Yeah, you added to what eventually I became, so ya might wanna shut your mouth."_** He said with a snarl.

"Nuh-no! that can't be true!" Sakura cried.

Hollow Naruto chuckled darkly as he lowered the sword a bit, enjoying Sakura's pain. **_"Yeah, it's true babe. and once I'm through with you all, my first stop is gonna be that fuckin' village so that they can see what a real demon is like before I pit 'em all on stakes to watch them all die in a slow, gruesome manner."_** Reaching up with his free hand, he traced his fingers over his mask._** "Ya know, there is a kinda twisted irony to all of it. No matter how bad he hurt, the boss always hid that pain away, just showin' people his lighter side, kinda like he was wearin' a mask or something, and now here I am, his dark side, a hollow, and I actually do wear a mask. Kinda funny, huh?"**_ He asked with a grin.

Sakura let go of him, trembling violently as she cupped her hands over her mouth, feeling like she was about to vomit as all of what he said came rushing back to her all at once, the times when she berated Naruto for no reason, the times that she'd beaten him over the head. "Oh Kami... I'm a horrible person..." She moaned, clutching her head.

Hollow Naruto chuckled raising his sword again. **_"Yeah, when ya come down to it, we're all pretty bad, arn't we?"_** He asked.

Sakura sniffed, looking up into Hollow Naruto's face. "No, you're wrong... Naruto's the greatest person I know..." she whispered, looking up into Hollow Naruto's eyes. "Naruto... I don't know if you can hear me but... I'm sorry... and..."

_'Huh? What's going on? Where am I? Sakura, what are you sayin' sorry for?'_

Sakura's eyes glistened and she smiled. "... and I love you... Thank you for being my friend, my brother..." She finished bowing her head.

_'I... I love you too Sakura, but what's goin' on? Why does everything seem so fuzzy?'_

**_"SHUT UP YOU DAMN BITCH! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RIGHT TO SAY ANYTHING!"_** Hollow Naruto screamed, swinging the sword down towards Sakura's exposed neck.

_'What the hell is happening?! Why am- NOOO-'_

"-OOO!!!" The sudden, loud scream erupted from Hollow naruto's lips as the sword stopped, poised a mere inch above the back of Sakura's neck. **_"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! LET ME KILL HER! LET ME KILL THEM ALL! THEY HURT US!"_** He secreamed, stumbling away from Sakura as he futilly swung the sword around.

Suddenly his right hand darted up, grabbing the edge of the mask. "NO! I WON'T LET YOU HURT SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto screamed, pulling mightily on the mask.

"N-Naruto-kun?!" Sakura's head shot up, tears still brimming in her eyes. "You can do it Naruto-kun!" She yelled encouragingly.

Hollow Naruto dropped Chigatana Keiriku, grappling at his right arm, which was slowly prying the mask off. **_"NOOO! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! THEY HURT US, SHE HURT US! LET ME KILL THEM AND ALL THE PAIN FROM OUR PAST WILL BE WIPED AWAY!"_** He screamed.

Naruto struggled, pulling the mask further away. "No... Ah-I won't let... let you hu-hurt my precious people!" He grunted, tugging harder. "Wuh-we've gotta remember the... the past... BUT WE"VE ALSO GOTTA LEARN TO FORGIVE AND LOOK TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE!" He sceamed back, fully tearing the mask away from his face, watching as it discentegrated in his hand even as he heard the fading screams of the hollow in the back of his mind. "Kami... What did I do?" Naruto groaned, falling to his knees, staring dumbly down at his hands.

Suddenly the blond was nearly bowled over as Sakura tackled into him, squeezing Naruto in a bone-crushing hug as she sobbed incomprehensible apologies. After a few moments, Sakura finally managed to calm down a bit, though her tears were still soaking Naruto's shoulder as she buried her face into his neck. "I'm so sorry for all the horrible things I've ever done to you Naruto-kun, I just hope that you can some day forgive me..." She finally managed to say after a few more moments.

Naruto rested his head against Sakura's. "Don't worry about it Sakura-chan. I've already forgiven ya for everything that's happened in our pasts, ok? Heh, let's just try to not make the same mistakes in the future." He replied, rubbing her back in what he hoped was a comforting manner.

Sakura sniffled a few times before finally pulling herself away from Naruto, her gaze locking with his. "Naruto... But what about everything that's happened to you?" She asked hesitantly.

Naruto grinned. "What about it? That's all in the past Sakura, and we've just gotta learn to accept it and move on with our lives, ok? So quit cryin', you know I can't to see a gril cry!" He exlaimed, grinning goofily at her.

Sakura giggled despite herself, hitting Naruto lightly in the arm, which caused the former jinkuuri to pout and rub his arm, which only served to make Sakura giggle even more. "Thank you Naruto, I needed that." She said after she finally managed to stop. Impulsivly, Sakura leaned forward and hugged Naruto again. "What would I do without you brother?" She asked quietly.

Naruto's grin widened. "You would've probably had some other jack-ass who was just as bad as Sasuke-teme stuck on Team seven with you, and then you would've really been in a bad spot." He replied cheekily, causing Sakura to giggle again.

Wiping her eyes, Sakura returned Naruto's grin. "How the heck are you able to flip things around and make everything seem better after I was just scared out of my wits and thinking I was about to die? I mean, I'm laughing now for Kami's sake!" She exlaimed.

Naruto shrugged. "Just one of my charming qualities I guess." He replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh again, pulling Naruto into another hug, content in his embrace.

As Naruto rested his chin on Sakura's shoulder, his face took on a sullen, despondent look. What had happened? How in the hell had the hollow taken over? What if it happened again? These thoughts whirring through his mind, Naruto clutched to Sakura tighter.

* * *

A dozen yards away, Kakashi was helping Genbu to his feet. "Well, it seems that despite all our skill, all it took to bring Naruto back was Sakura, and she didn't even lift a finger." He remarked nonchalantly to the larger man, grunting under his weight.

Genbu grinned wearily. "Well, I suppose this means me and my boys lost, eh Kakashi? That Naruto really is something else, even if the look on his face is pretty disquieting right now. Any chance you Konoha boys would let us have him for a little while? He'd do wonders as an Iwa Shinobi."

Kakashi grunted as the two of them started to make their way towards Naruto and Sakura. "Not on your life Genbu, Naruto is a Konoha Shinobi through and through. And besides, not everyone in Iwa have as much respect for the Fourth as you did, and if any of them are as smart as you are, then that would spell trouble for Naruto that I'd rather he'd avoid, at least for a while longer yet." He replied.

Genbu chuckled. "So your saying that my hunch was spot on then? So What was Naruto? Namikaze's little brother? His nephew from an unkown brother or sister perhaps?" His eyes took on a crafty glint. "Or am I right, and... ?"

Kakashi sighed, Genbu really was too smart for anyone's own good, luckily he was discreet as well. "Let's just say his dream is the same as his father's was, and he'll probably realize it as well, and leave it at that." He replied.

Genbu only laughed heartily in response.

-Two days later, the Naruto Ramen Stand-

Naruto sat on a stool, slumped forward slightly as he morosely picked at the cooling noodles in his bowl. It had already been a day since the Iwa Shinobi had picked up and left, albeit slowly because of their wounded, and the villagers had finally come back to Wave. Naruto had tried to apologize for what had happened, but none of the villagers would hear of it, and Tazuna, who had been chosen as the unofficial representative of the town had thanked Naruto for them all. "Heh, if it hadn't have been for you kid, who knows where we'd be now, right? Houses and stores can be rebuilt, but lives can never be replaced. We owe Konohakagure again, and it's something we'll never forget." He'd said.

Regardless, Naruto felt horrible, since he'd actually been the cause of most of the destruction, so he'd been helping out with the repairs all over town- everywhere anyone looked they could see at least a dozen Narutos, helping out wherever they could, and as a result, the twon was coming back rather nicely, having already been done in just a day what would have normally taken at least a week for the villagers.

But that wasn't the only thing Naruto was feeling... There was that other feeling as well...

How had the hollow taken over? How did it still exist seperately in him? He'd already accepted that he, just like everyone else, had a darker side, didn't he? He'd come to terms with it, and firmly told himself that he'd never fall into it...

...but if pressed, he'd have to admit that he feared it as well, if just a little bit...

"One Pork Ramen please!"

The loud, boisterous voice dragged Naruto from his reverie with a snap, his head cracking around almost fast enough to get whiplash as he looked up- right into the crinckled, grinning face of... "GENBU!" The young blond screeched, shooting to his feet and pointing.

Genbu laughed. "Keep it down Naruto, do you want all of these villagers to know who I really am?" He asked, a twinkle in his eye.

Naruto sat back down hesitantly. "How come they don't know already?" He asked warily.

Genbu looked over at the stand owner. "Your not gonna say anything either are you?" He asked.

The stand owner shook his head, setting a pork bowl in front of the jolly giant. "I like my head where it is, so I don't know nuthin' about nobody bein' here other than Naruto-sama." He replied, turning back to his pots.

Genbu laughed again before slurping down some noodles. "Naruto, your a ninja, you should know that a simple genjutsu would be enough to sneak a skilled ninja through here without any problems." He finally answered Naruto's question after setting his bowl down.

Naruto conceded the point, taking his seat next to the Iwa Jonin. "But why'd you come back?" He asked, eating his own noodles.

Genbu shrugged. "I felt like it." He replied.

Naruto nodded, and the two of them went through two more bowls apiece, eating in relative silence.

Setting down his bowl, Genbu turned his head to look down at Naruto. "Wanna talk about it kid?" He asked quietly.

Naruto shook his head, setting down his own bowl. "I just don't understand." He replied, looking into the dregs of his teacup. "That thing that came out... it... it was my inner darkness... my personal demon I guess you could call it. I can't figure out how he managed to get out though, I mean, it's not like when..."

"When you held the Kyuubi?" Genbu asked.

Naruto looked up at the large man, shock written all over his face. "You know?" He asked in a terrified whisper.

Genbu nodded solemnly. "I managed to guess, but I was informed that the demon had been pulled from you. Now, what about this new thing of yours?" He asked.

Naruto looked away. "Well... it's just that my inner-hollow, that's what it's called, is a part of me, and I don't understand how he was able to take over like that, since I've embraced who and what I am." He replied.

Genbu raised his eyebrows. "Your inner darkness huh? Well tell me something young man, do you embrace that inner darkness, relish in it?" He asked, not unkindly.

"No! I'm not a bad guy!" Naruto shot back, horrified at the thought.

Genbu patted Naruto on the back. "Well, then even if you accept that it's a part of you, you'll always be at least a little afraid of it, afraid of what you might be capable of. You've just gotta learn to live with that, and learn to control it as best you can, eh?" He replied sagely.

Naruto hung his head. "But... But what if he takes over again... And I can't come back next time?" He asked, voicing his fears.

Genbu laughed. "I don't think there'll be any problem of that Naruto. As long as your strong of heart, and remember that you've got those who love you, you'll be able to prevail every time!" He said, grinning.

Naruto grinned a bit as well. Yeah... Yeah! Your right! Thanks Genbu!" He replied, his spirits finally lifting.

* * *

Sakura sat under a cherry tree, watching the the area as she thought about everything that happened, absently running her fingers through the grass around her.

"Man, I never thought you of all people would try to steal my hobby."

The sudden voice startled Sakura, causing her to fall over. "Shikamaru you ass! How dare you sneak up on me like that!" She screeched, jumping up as she fumed at the pineapple-haired teen.

Shikamaru shrugged, uncaring. "Anyway, even though Naruto has final say, Kakashi and Gai are wanting to set out for Konoha by tomorrow, and I figured I'd come and tell you." He replied, pulling out his ever-present pack of cigarettes, striking one up.

Sakura made a face. "Those things are bad foir you." She said crossly. Looking over to her left, she spotted what she'd been looking at before. "Hey Shika, can you see what's over there?" She asked, pointing in the direction of town, where a tree-line was.

Shikamaru looked in the direction that Sakura was pointing. "I see trees." He said bluntly. "Anyway, I'm going back to the house." With that, he started away.

"Right..." Sakura mumbled uncertainly, looking back at the spot, where it seemed like a transparent man was hovering along, easily a foot off the ground as he looked around, confused. Deciding to wait to talk to someone else about it, maybe Naruto, Sakura turned to follow Shikamaru.

However, if she'd remained a moment longer, she would have seen the God of Death, one of the paths of the dead, appear behind the ghost of the dead bartender.

* * *

Naruto and genbu stood up, laying their money on the counter. "So, what are you gonna do now?" Genbu asked.

Naruto stretched, his bones popping. "I dunno, though we should probably be leaving soon to report." He replied. "What about you?"

Genbu chuckled. "As slow-going as my guys are right now, I've got a few hours to spare." He said. "Say, Naruto- How fast of a learner are you?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye.

Naruto looked up at Genbu thoughtfully. "I'm pretty fast, why?" He asked.

Genbu chuckled. "Well, I've notgot enough time for any real proper instruction, but what do you say to a sparring match? I can show you a bit of Iwa-style Goken, and I can teach you a bit about your dojutsu while we're at it." He replied.

Naruto's eyes widened. "You'd do that for me?! Really?! Why?" He asked, surprised.

Genbu chuckled, patting Naruto on the back. "Because your an interesting kid, and I think you'll go far. So, whadda ya say, are you up to it?" He asked, his eyes twinkling.

Naruto grinned. "Sure thing old man, your on!" He exlaimed.

Laughing, the two friends set out to find an empty field.

* * *

Sitting at her desk, Tsunade carefully examined the large scroll that lay on her desk, sweat beading her forehead as she tenativly examined the seals around it. There could be no doubt, this was Minato's handywork, probably one of his finest ever- And one bad move would not only destroy the scroll, but the resulting explosion could easily wipe out half of Konoha, if she was looking at the multi-layered array correctly.

She had been searching through the private vaults of the Hokage for all of the information she could find on the bijuu when she'd stumbled accidentally over this scroll, which had been hidden discreetly behind a number of larger, unimportant ones.

Why would Minato leave such a dangerous weapon in Konoha, even if it was in the Hokage's Tower?

And why was it keyed with a very specific blood-seal, to Naruto's, his own son? Was it a weapon for him to use in the most desperate of measures? If just it's outer defenses were so powerful, what was the actual weapon like?

With a sigh that belied just how nervous she really was, Tsunade pulled out a small vial marked with Naruto's name, filled with his blood from one of the samples she'd taken the last time he was hospitalized. Channeling a small amount of chakra, Tsunade warmed the blood to human-body temperature, and poured it on the scroll in a specific pattern, two drops on the seal at the top, four in the middle, and one at the bottom.

Tsunade held her breath, waiting with a frightened expectancy for several seconds, and then breathed a sigh of relief as the defensive seals disengaged and the scroll rolled open.

Picking it up, Tsunade quickly scanned through the first bit of it, her eyes widening. "WHAT?!" She yelled, frantically scanning through it again.

There could be no mistake, the scroll itself wasn't a weapon, it didn't even contain one.

No, it detailed the outlines of a weapon of incomprehensible measure, a weapon that made the defensive measures around the scroll seem like a small firecracker in comparison...

Naruto.

-End-

A/N- So, how was it? Was this chapter awsome? Did it suck? Tell me in a review!!!


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